COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (Collins Cobuild)

ir|re|spon|sible / I r I spɒ ns I b ^ə l/ ADJ If you describe someone as irresponsible , you are criticizing them because they do things without properly considering their possible consequences. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ It was clearly irresponsible to fly a drone close to an airport. [Also + of ] ● ir|re|spon|sibly / I r I spɒ ns I bli/ ADV [usu ADV with v] □ They have behaved irresponsibly. ● ir|re|spon|sibil|ity / I r I spɒns I b I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ …the irresponsibility of people who advocate such destruction to our environment.

ir|re|triev|able / I r I triː vəb ^ə l/ ADJ If you talk about irretrievable damage or an irretrievable situation, you mean that the damage or situation is so bad that there is no possibility of putting it right. [FORMAL ] □ …a country in irretrievable decline. ● ir|re|triev|ably / I r I triː vəbli/ ADV [usu ADV with v] □ Eventually her marriage broke down irretrievably.

ir|rev|er|ent / I re vərənt/ ADJ If you describe someone as irreverent , you mean that they do not show respect for people or things that are generally respected. [APPROVAL ] □ Taylor combined great knowledge with an irreverent attitude to history. ● ir|rev|er|ence N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ for ] His irreverence for authority marks him out as a troublemaker. ● ir|rev|er|ent|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ 'Jobs for the boys,' said Crosby irreverently.

ir|re|vers|ible / I r I vɜː ^r s I b ^ə l/ ADJ If a change is irreversible , things cannot be changed back to the way they were before. □ She could suffer irreversible brain damage if she is not treated within seven days. ● ir|re|vers|ibly ADV [ADV with v] □ Television has irreversibly changed our perception of the Royal Family.

ir|revo|cable / I re vəkəb ^ə l/ ADJ If a decision, action, or change is irrevocable , it cannot be changed or reversed. [FORMAL ] □ He said the decision was irrevocable. ● ir|revo|cably / I re vəkəbli/ ADV [usu ADV with v, oft ADV adj] □ My relationships with friends have been irrevocably altered by my illness.

ir|ri|gate / I r I ge I t/ (irrigates , irrigating , irrigated ) VERB To irrigate land means to supply it with water in order to help crops grow. □ [V n] None of the water from Lake Powell is used to irrigate the area. ● ir|ri|ga|tion / I r I ge I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] □ The agricultural land is hilly and the irrigation poor.

ir|ri|table / I r I təb ^ə l/ ADJ If you are irritable , you are easily annoyed. □ He had been waiting for over an hour and was beginning to feel irritable. ● ir|ri|tably / I r I təbli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ 'Why are you whispering?' he asked irritably. ● ir|ri|tabil|ity / I r I təb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Patients usually suffer from increased irritability.

ir|ri|tant / I r I tənt/ (irritants )

1 N‑COUNT If you describe something as an irritant , you mean that it keeps annoying you. [FORMAL ] □ He said the issue was not a major irritant.

2 N‑COUNT An irritant is a substance which causes a part of your body to itch or become sore. [FORMAL ] □ Many pesticides are irritants.

ir|ri|tate / I r I te I t/ (irritates , irritating , irritated )

1 VERB If something irritates you, it keeps annoying you. □ [V n] Their attitude irritates me. □ [be V -ed] Perhaps they were irritated by the sound of crying. ● ir|ri|tat|ed ADJ □ [+ with ] Not surprisingly, her teacher is getting irritated with her.

2 VERB If something irritates a part of your body, it causes it to itch or become sore. □ [V n] Wear rubber gloves while chopping chillies as they can irritate the skin.

ir|ri|tat|ing / I r I te I t I ŋ/

1 ADJ Something that is irritating keeps annoying you. □ They also have the irritating habit of interrupting. ● ir|ri|tat|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ They can be irritatingly indecisive at times.

2 ADJ An irritating substance can cause your body to itch or become sore. □ [+ to ] In heavy concentrations, ozone is irritating to the eyes, nose and throat.

ir|ri|ta|tion / I r I te I ʃ ^ə n/ (irritations )

1 N‑UNCOUNT Irritation is a feeling of annoyance, especially when something is happening that you cannot easily stop or control. □ He tried not to let his irritation show as he blinked in the glare of the television lights.

2 N‑COUNT An irritation is something that keeps annoying you. □ Don't allow a minor irritation in the workplace to mar your ambitions.

3 N‑VAR Irritation in a part of your body is a feeling of slight pain and discomfort there. □ [+ to ] These oils may cause irritation to sensitive skins.

IRS /a I ɑːr e s/ N‑PROPER In the United States, the IRS is the government authority which collects taxes. IRS is an abbreviation for 'Inland Revenue Service'.

is / I z/ Is is the third person singular of the present tense of be . Is is often added to other words and shortened to -'s .

ISDN /a I es diː e n/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] ISDN is a phone network that can send voice and computer messages. ISDN is an abbreviation for 'Integrated Service Digital Network'. □ …an ISDN phone line.

-ise → see -ize

SUFFIX -ish

1 forms words that indicate that a particular time or age mentioned is approximate. For example, if someone is fortyish , they are about forty years old.

2 also forms adjectives that indicate that someone or something has a quality to a small extent. For example, something that is yellowish is slightly yellow in colour.

Is|lam / I zlɑːm, [AM ] I slɑː m/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Islam is the religion of the Muslims, which was started by Mohammed.

2 N‑UNCOUNT Some people use Islam to refer to all the countries where Islam is the main religion. □ …relations between Islam and the West.

Is|lam|ic / I zlæ m I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Islamic means belonging or relating to Islam. □ …Islamic law. □ …Islamic fundamentalists.

Is|lam|ist / I zləm I st/ (Islamists ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] An Islamist is someone who believes strongly in Islamic ideas and laws. □ It was clear that there was significant support for the Islamists.

is|land ◆◆◇ /a I lənd/ (islands ) N‑COUNT An island is a piece of land that is completely surrounded by water. □ …the Canary Islands. COLLOCATIONS island NOUN

noun + island : holiday, paradise, resort; coral

adjective + island : remote, uninhabited; tropical, volcanic

is|land|er /a I ləndə ^r / (islanders ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Islanders are people who live on an island. □ The islanders endured centuries of exploitation.

isle /a I l/ (isles ) N‑COUNT An isle is an island; often used as part of an island's name, or in literary English. □ …the Isle of Man.

is|let /a I lət/ (islets ) N‑COUNT An islet is a small island. [LITERARY ]

SUFFIX -ism

forms nouns that refer to particular beliefs, or to behaviour based on these beliefs. For example, professionalism is behaviour that is professional and racism is the beliefs and behaviour of a racist.

isn't / I z ^ə nt/ Isn't is the usual spoken form of 'is not'.

iso|late /a I səle I t/ (isolates , isolating , isolated )

1 VERB To isolate a person or organization means to cause them to lose their friends or supporters. □ [V n + from ] This policy could isolate the country from the other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. □ [V n] Political influence is being used to shape public opinion and isolate critics. ● iso|lat|ed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ They are finding themselves increasingly isolated within the teaching profession. ● iso|la|tion /a I səle I ʃ ^ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Diplomatic isolation could lead to economic disaster.

2 VERB If you isolate yourself , or if something isolates you, you become physically or socially separated from other people. □ [V pron-refl] When he was thinking out a problem Tweed's habit was never to isolate himself in his room. □ [V n] His radicalism and refusal to compromise isolated him. □ [V n + from ] Police officers had a siege mentality that isolated them from the people they served. □ [V -ed] But of course no one lives totally alone, isolated from the society around them.

3 VERB If you isolate something such as an idea or a problem, you separate it from others that it is connected with, so that you can concentrate on it or consider it on its own. □ [V n] Our anxieties can also be controlled by isolating thoughts, feelings and memories. □ [V n + from ] Gandhi said that those who isolate religion from politics don't understand the nature of either.

4 VERB To isolate a substance means to obtain it by separating it from other substances using scientific processes. [TECHNICAL ] □ [V n] We can use genetic engineering techniques to isolate the gene that is responsible. □ [V n + from ] Researchers have isolated a new protein from the seeds of poppies.

5 VERB To isolate a sick person or animal means to keep them apart from other people or animals, so that their illness does not spread. □ [V n + from ] You don't have to isolate them from the community. [Also V n]

iso|lat|ed /a I səle I t I d/

1 ADJ An isolated place is a long way away from large towns and is difficult to reach. □ Many of the refugee villages are in isolated areas.

2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you feel isolated , you feel lonely and without friends or help. □ Some patients may become very isolated and depressed.

3 ADJ [ADJ n] An isolated example is an example of something that is not very common. □ They said the allegations related to an isolated case of cheating.

iso|la|tion /a I səle I ʃ ^ə n/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Isolation is the state of feeling alone and without friends or help. □ Many deaf people have feelings of isolation and loneliness.

2 → see also isolate

3 PHRASE If something is considered in isolation from other things that it is connected with, it is considered separately, and those other things are not considered. □ [+ from ] Punishment cannot be discussed in isolation from social theory.

4 PHRASE If someone does something in isolation , they do it without other people being present or without their help. □ Malcolm works in isolation but I have no doubts about his abilities.

iso|la|tion|ism /a I səle I ʃən I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to isolationism , you are referring to a country's policy of avoiding close relationships with other countries and of not taking sides in disputes between other countries. □ …the perils of isolationism. ● iso|la|tion|ist (isolationists ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] □ The government had to overcome isolationist opposition to the plan.

iso|met|rics /a I səme tr I ks/ The form isometric is used as a modifier. N‑PLURAL Isometrics or isometric exercises are exercises in which you make your muscles work against each other or against something else, for example by pressing your hands together.

iso|tope /a I sətoʊp/ (isotopes ) N‑COUNT Isotopes are atoms that have the same number of protons and electrons but different numbers of neutrons and therefore have different physical properties. [TECHNICAL ] □ …tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen.

ISP /a I es piː / (ISPs ) N‑COUNT An ISP is a company that provides internet and email services. ISP is an abbreviation for 'Internet Service Provider'.

Is|rae|li / I zre I li/ (Israelis )

1 ADJ Israeli means belonging or relating to Israel, or to its people or culture.

2 N‑COUNT An Israeli is a person who comes from Israel.

is|sue ◆◆◆ / I sjuː, I ʃuː/ (issues , issuing , issued )

1 N‑COUNT An issue is an important subject that people are arguing about or discussing. □ [+ of ] Agents will raise the issue of prize-money for next year's world championships. □ Is it right for the Church to express a view on political issues?

2 → see also side issue

3 N‑SING If something is the issue , it is the thing you consider to be the most important part of a situation or discussion. □ I was earning a lot of money, but that was not the issue. □ The real issue was never addressed.

4 N‑COUNT An issue of something such as a magazine or newspaper is the version of it that is published, for example, in a particular month or on a particular day. □ [+ of ] The growing problem is underlined in the latest issue of the Lancet.

5 VERB If you issue a statement or a warning, you make it known formally or publicly. □ [V n] Last night he issued a statement denying the allegations. □ [V n] Yesterday his kidnappers issued a second threat to kill him.

6 VERB [usu passive] If you are issued with something, it is officially given to you. □ [be V -ed + with ] On your appointment you will be issued with a written statement of particulars of employment. ● N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Issue is also a noun. □ …a standard army issue rifle.

7 VERB When something such as a liquid, sound, or smell issues from something, it comes out of that thing. [FORMAL ] □ [V + from ] A tinny voice issued from a speaker.

8 PHRASE The question or point at issue is the question or point that is being argued about or discussed. □ The problems of immigration were not the question at issue.

9 PHRASE If you make an issue of something, you try to make other people think about it or discuss it, because you are concerned or annoyed about it. □ It seemed the Colonel had no desire to make an issue of the affair.

10 PHRASE If you take issue with someone or something they said, you disagree with them, and start arguing about it. □ I will not take issue with the fact that we have a recession.

i s|sue price (issue prices ) N‑COUNT The issue price of shares is the price at which they are offered for sale when they first become available to the public. [BUSINESS ] □ Shares in the company slipped below their issue price on their first day of trading.

SUFFIX -ist

1 forms nouns that refer to people who play a particular musical instrument, often as their job. For example, a guitarist is someone who plays the guitar.

2 also forms nouns that refer to people who do a particular kind of work. For example, a scientist is someone whose work is connected with science.

isth|mus / I sməs/ (isthmuses ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] An isthmus is a narrow piece of land connecting two very large areas of land. □ …the Isthmus of Panama.

it ◆◆◆ / I t/ It is a third person singular pronoun. It is used as the subject or object of a verb, or as the object of a preposition. 1 PRON You use it to refer to an object, animal, or other thing that has already been mentioned. □ It's a wonderful city, really. I'll show it to you if you want. □ My wife has become crippled by arthritis. She is embarrassed to ask the doctor about it.

2 PRON You use it to refer to a child or baby whose sex you do not know or whose sex is not relevant to what you are saying. □ He promised to support the child after it was born.

3 PRON You use it to refer in a general way to a situation that you have just described. □ He was through with sports, not because he had to be but because he wanted it that way.

4 PRON You use it before certain nouns, adjectives, and verbs to introduce your feelings or point of view about a situation. □ It was nice to see Steve again. □ It seems that you are letting things get you down.

5 PRON You use it in passive clauses which report a situation or event. □ It has been said that stress causes cancer.

6 PRON You use it with some verbs that need a subject or object, although there is no noun that it refers to. □ Of course, as it turned out, three-fourths of the people in the group were psychiatrists.

7 PRON You use it as the subject of 'be', to say what the time, day, or date is. □ It's three o'clock in the morning. □ It was a Monday, so she was at home.

8 PRON You use it as the subject of a link verb to describe the weather, the light, or the temperature. □ It was very wet and windy the day I drove over the hill to Milland. □ It's getting dark. Let's go inside.

9 PRON You use it when you are telling someone who you are, or asking them who they are, especially at the beginning of a phone call. You also use it in statements and questions about the identity of other people. □ 'Who is it?' he called.—'It's your neighbor.' □ Hello Freddy, it's only me, Maxine.

10 PRON When you are emphasizing or drawing attention to something, you can put that thing immediately after it and a form of the verb 'be'. [EMPHASIS ] □ It was the country's rulers who devised this system.

11 PHRASE You use it in expressions such as it's not that or it's not simply that when you are giving a reason for something and are suggesting that there are several other reasons. □ It's not that I didn't want to be with my family.

12 if it wasn't for → see be ➋ USAGE it

Don’t use ‘it’ with a linking verb and a noun phrase to say that something exists or is present. Don’t say, for example, ‘ It’s a lot of traffic on this road tonight ’. Say ‘There’s a lot of traffic on this road tonight’. □ There’s a teacher at my school called Miss Large.

IT /a I ti ː/ IT is an abbreviation for information technology .

Ital|ian / I tæ liən/ (Italians )

1 ADJ Italian means belonging or relating to Italy, or to its people, language, or culture.

2 N‑COUNT An Italian is a person who comes from Italy.

3 N‑UNCOUNT Italian is the language spoken in Italy, and in parts of Switzerland.

ital|ic / I tæ l I k/ (italics )

1 N‑PLURAL Italics are letters which slope to the right. Italics are often used to emphasize a particular word or sentence. The examples in this dictionary are printed in italics.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] Italic letters slope to the right. □ She addressed them by hand in her beautiful italic script.

itch / I tʃ/ (itches , itching , itched )

1 VERB When a part of your body itches , you have an unpleasant feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch. □ [V ] When someone has hayfever, the eyes and nose will stream and itch. □ [V -ing] …dry, itching skin. ● N‑COUNT Itch is also a noun. □ Scratch my back–I've got an itch. ● itch|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ It may be that the itching is caused by contact with irritant material.

2 VERB [usu cont] If you are itching to do something, you are very eager or impatient to do it. [INFORMAL ] □ [V to-inf] I was itching to get involved and to bring my own theories into practice. □ [V + for ] The general was itching for a fight. ● N‑SING [usu N to-inf] Itch is also a noun. □ …viewers with an insatiable itch to switch channels.

itchy / I tʃi/ (itchier , itchiest )

1 ADJ If a part of your body or something you are wearing is itchy , you have an unpleasant feeling on your skin that makes you want to scratch. [INFORMAL ] □ …itchy, sore eyes.

2 PHRASE If you have itchy feet , you have a strong desire to leave a place and to travel. [INFORMAL ] □ The trip gave me itchy feet and I wanted to travel more.

it'd / I təd/

1 It'd is a spoken form of 'it would'. □ It'd be better for a place like this to remain closed.

2 It'd is a spoken form of 'it had', especially when 'had' is an auxiliary verb. □ Marcie was watching the news. It'd just started.

item ◆◆◇ /a I təm/ (items )

1 N‑COUNT An item is one of a collection or list of objects. □ The most valuable item on show will be a Picasso drawing.

2 → see also collector's item

3 N‑COUNT An item is one of a list of things for someone to do, deal with, or talk about. □ The other item on the agenda is the tour.

4 N‑COUNT An item is a report or article in a newspaper or magazine, or on television or radio. □ There was an item in the paper about him.

5 N‑SING If you say that two people are an item , you mean that they are having a romantic or sexual relationship. [INFORMAL ] □ She and Gino were an item. COLLOCATIONS item NOUN

1

noun + item : fashion, food, grocery, household; auction, novelty

adjective + item : essential, luxury, valuable; electrical; personal

verb + item : buy

4

noun + item : news, newspaper

item|ize /a I təma I z/ (itemizes , itemizing , itemized ) in BRIT, also use itemise VERB If you itemize a number of things, you make a list of them. □ [V n] Itemise your gear and mark major items with your name and post code. □ [V -ed] …a fully itemised bill.

I t-girl (It-girls ) also It girl N‑COUNT Journalists sometimes use It-girl to describe a young woman who is well-known because she goes to the most fashionable places and events and knows famous people. [INFORMAL , JOURNALISM ] □ She is being heralded as fashion's new it-girl .

itin|er|ant /a I t I nərənt/ (itinerants )

1 ADJ [ADJ n] An itinerant worker travels around a region, working for short periods in different places. [FORMAL ] □ …the author's experiences as an itinerant musician.

2 N‑COUNT An itinerant is someone whose way of life involves travelling around, usually someone who is poor and homeless. [FORMAL ]

itin|er|ary /a I t I nərəri, [AM ] -eri/ (itineraries ) N‑COUNT An itinerary is a plan of a journey, including the route and the places that you will visit. □ The next place on our itinerary was Silistra.

it'll / I t ^ə l/ It'll is a spoken form of 'it will'. □ It's ages since I've seen her so it'll be nice to meet her in town on Thursday.

its ◆◆◆ / I ts/ Its is a third person singular possessive determiner. DET You use its to indicate that something belongs or relates to a thing, place, or animal that has just been mentioned or whose identity is known. You can use its to indicate that something belongs or relates to a child or baby. □ The British Labor Party concludes its annual conference today in Brighton. □ …Japan, with its extreme housing shortage.

it's / I ts/

1 It's is the usual spoken form of 'it is'. □ It's the best news I've heard in a long time.

2 It's is the usual spoken form of 'it has', especially when 'has' is an auxiliary verb. □ It's been such a long time since I played.

it|self ◆◆◆ / I tse lf/

1 PRON Itself is used as the object of a verb or preposition when it refers to something that is the same thing as the subject of the verb. □ …remarkable new evidence showing how the body rebuilds itself while we sleep. □ Unemployment does not correct itself.

2 PRON You use itself to emphasize the thing you are referring to. [EMPHASIS ] □ I think life itself is a learning process. □ The involvement of the foreign ministers was itself a sign of progress.

3 PRON If you say that someone is, for example, politeness itself or kindness itself , you are emphasizing they are extremely polite or extremely kind. [EMPHASIS ] □ I was never really happy there, although the people were kindness itself.

4 an end in itself → see end

ITV /a I tiː viː /

1 N‑PROPER [with sing or pl verb] ITV refers to the group of British commercial television companies that broadcasts programmes on one channel. ITV is an abbreviation for 'Independent Television'. [BRIT ] □ ITV has set its sights on winning a younger and more upmarket audience.

2 N‑PROPER ITV is the television channel that is run by ITV. □ The first episode will be shown tomorrow at 10.40pm on ITV.

SUFFIX -ity

forms nouns that refer to a particular state or quality. For example, simplicity is the quality of being simple.

IUD /a I juː diː / (IUDs ) N‑COUNT An IUD is a piece of plastic or metal which is put inside a woman's womb in order to prevent her from becoming pregnant. IUD is an abbreviation for 'intra-uterine device'.

I've /a I v/ I've is the usual spoken form of 'I have', especially when 'have' is an auxiliary verb. □ I've been invited to meet with the American Ambassador. □ I've no other appointments.

IVF /a I viː e f/ N‑UNCOUNT IVF is a method of helping a woman to have a baby in which an egg is removed from one of her ovaries, fertilized outside her body, and then replaced in her womb. IVF is an abbreviation for 'in vitro fertilization'.

ivo|ry /a I vəri/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Ivory is a hard cream-coloured substance which forms the tusks of elephants. It is valuable and can be used for making carved ornaments. □ …the international ban on the sale of ivory.

2 COLOUR Ivory is a creamy-white colour.

i vo|ry to w|er (ivory towers ) N‑COUNT [N n] If you describe someone as living in an ivory tower , you mean that they have no knowledge or experience of the practical problems of everyday life. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Jenkins should get down from his ivory tower and sample the real world.

ivy /a I vi/ (ivies ) N‑VAR Ivy is an evergreen plant that grows up walls or along the ground.

I vy League N‑PROPER The Ivy League is a group of eight universities in the north-eastern part of the United States, which have high academic and social status. □ …an Ivy League college.

SUFFIX -ize

Verbs that can end in either -ize or -ise are dealt with in this dictionary at the -ize spelling. Many verbs ending in -ize describe processes by which things or people are brought into a new state. For example, 'The dispute could jeopardize the negotiations.'