COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Collins Cobuild)

gu t-wrenching ADJ Gut-wrenching events or experiences make you feel extremely shocked or upset. [mainly JOURNALISM ] □ Going to court can be an expensive and gut wrenching experience that is best avoided.

guv /gʌ v/ N‑COUNT Guv is sometimes used to address a man, especially a customer or someone you are doing a service for. [BRIT , INFORMAL , SPOKEN ] □ Hey, thanks, guv.

guv|nor /gʌ vnə ^r / (guvnors ) also guv'nor N‑COUNT Guvnor is sometimes used to refer to or address a man who is in a position of authority over you, for example your employer or father. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]

guy ◆◆◇ /ga I / (guys )

1 N‑COUNT A guy is a man. [INFORMAL ] □ I was working with a guy from Manchester.

2 → see also wise guy

3 N‑COUNT ; N‑PLURAL Americans sometimes address a group of people, whether they are male or female, as guys or you guys . [INFORMAL ] □ Hi, guys. How are you doing? □ Mom wants to know if you guys still have that two-person tent.

Guy Fawkes Night /ga I fɔːks na I t/ N‑UNCOUNT In Britain, Guy Fawkes Night is the evening of 5th November, when many people have parties with bonfires and fireworks. It began as a way of remembering the attempt by Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. Guy Fawkes Night is often referred to as 'Bonfire Night'.

gu y rope (guy ropes ) N‑COUNT A guy rope is a rope or wire that has one end fastened to a tent or pole and the other end fixed to the ground, so that it keeps the tent or pole in position.

guz|zle /gʌ z ^ə l/ (guzzles , guzzling , guzzled )

1 VERB If you guzzle something, you drink it or eat it quickly and greedily. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Melissa had guzzled gin and tonics like they were lemonade. [Also V ]

2 VERB If you say that a vehicle guzzles fuel, you mean that it uses a lot of it in a way that is wasteful and unnecessary. □ [V n] The plane was deafeningly noisy, guzzled fuel, and left a trail of smoke. ● -guzzling COMB [ADJ n] □ The boom of the 1980s led to a taste for petrol-guzzling cars. □ …big energy-guzzling houses.

3 → see also gas guzzler

gym /dʒ I m/ (gyms )

1 N‑COUNT A gym is a club, building, or large room, usually containing special equipment, where people go to do physical exercise and get fit. □ While the lads are golfing, I work out in the gym. □ …the school gym.

2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Gym is the activity of doing physical exercises in a gym, especially at school. [INFORMAL ] □ …gym classes.

gym|kha|na /dʒ I mkɑː nə/ (gymkhanas ) N‑COUNT A gymkhana is an event in which people ride horses in competition.

gym|na|sium /dʒ I mne I ziəm/ (gymnasiums or gymnasia /dʒ I mne I ziə/) N‑COUNT A gymnasium is the same as a gym . [FORMAL ]

gym|nast /dʒ I mnæst/ (gymnasts ) N‑COUNT A gymnast is someone who is trained in gymnastics.

gym|nas|tics /dʒ I mnæ st I ks/ The form gymnastic is used as a modifier. 1 N‑UNCOUNT Gymnastics consists of physical exercises that develop your strength, co-ordination, and ease of movement. □ …the British Amateur Gymnastics Association.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Gymnastic is used to describe things relating to gymnastics. □ …gymnastic exercises.

3 N‑UNCOUNT [adj N ] You can use gymnastics to refer to activities which require skills such as speed and adaptability. □ Hers is the kind of voice that excels at vocal gymnastics.

gy|nae|col|ogy /ga I n I kɒ lədʒi/ in AM, use gynecology N‑UNCOUNT Gynaecology is the branch of medical science which deals with women's diseases and medical conditions. ● gy|nae|colo|gist (gynaecologists ) N‑COUNT □ Gynaecologists at Aberdeen Maternity Hospital have successfully used the drug on 60 women. ● gy|nae|co|logi|cal /ga I n I kəlɒ dʒ I k ^ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] □ Breast examination is a part of a routine gynaecological examination.

gyp|sum /dʒ I psəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Gypsum is a soft white substance which looks like chalk and which is used to make plaster of Paris.

gyp|sy /dʒ I psi/ (gypsies ) also gipsy N‑COUNT A gypsy is a member of a race of people who travel from place to place, usually in caravans, rather than living in one place. ● ADJ [usu ADJ n] Gypsy is also an adjective. □ …the largest gypsy community of any country.

gy|rate /dʒa I re I t, [AM ] dʒa I re I t/ (gyrates , gyrating , gyrated )

1 VERB If you gyrate , you dance or move your body quickly with circular movements. □ [V ] The woman began to gyrate to the music. □ [V -ing] …a room stuffed full of gasping, gyrating bodies. ● gy|ra|tion /dʒa I re I ʃ ^ə n/ (gyrations ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] □ Prince continued his enthusiastic gyrations on stage.

2 VERB To gyrate means to turn round and round in a circle, usually very fast. □ [V prep] The aeroplane was gyrating about the sky in a most unpleasant fashion. [Also V ]

3 VERB If things such as prices or currencies gyrate , they move up and down in a rapid and uncontrolled way. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V adv/prep] Interest rates began to gyrate up towards 20 per cent in 1980 and then down and up again. [Also V ] ● gy|ra|tion N‑COUNT [usu pl] □ …the gyrations of the currency markets.

gy|ro|scope /dʒa I rəskoʊp/ (gyroscopes ) N‑COUNT A gyroscope is a device that contains a disc turning on an axis that can turn freely in any direction, so that the disc maintains the same position whatever the position or movement of the surrounding structure.