12 PHRASE To start with means at the very first stage of an event or process. □ To start with, the pressure on her was very heavy, but it's eased off a bit now.
13 in fits and starts → see fit ➌
14 to get off to a flying start → see flying
▸ start off
1 PHRASAL VERB If you start off by doing something, you do it as the first part of an activity. □ [V P + by ] She started off by accusing him of blackmail but he more or less ignored her. □ [V P v-ing] He started off playing piano background music for silent films.
2 PHRASAL VERB To start someone off means to cause them to begin doing something. □ [V n P ] Her mother started her off acting in children's theatre.
3 PHRASAL VERB To start something off means to cause it to begin. □ [V n P ] Best results are obtained by starting the plants off in a warm greenhouse.
4 → see start 4
▸ start on PHRASAL VERB If you start on something that needs to be done, you start dealing with it. □ [V P n] No need for you to start on the washing-up yet.
▸ start out
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone or something starts out as a particular thing, they are that thing at the beginning although they change later. □ [V P + as ] Daly was a fast-talking Irish-American who had started out as a salesman. □ [V P + as ] What started out as fun quickly became hard work. [Also V P n as n]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you start out by doing something, you do it at the beginning of an activity. □ [V P + by ] We started out by looking at ways in which big projects could be financed by the private sector.
▸ start over PHRASAL VERB If you start over or start something over , you begin something again from the beginning. [mainly AM ] □ [V P ] …moving the kids to some other schools, closing them down and starting over with a new staff. □ [V n P ] It's just not enough money to start life over. in BRIT, use start again
▸ start up → see start 5 , start 6 SYNONYMS start VERB 1
begin: He stood up and began to move around the room.
proceed: He proceeded to tell me of my birth.
embark on: He's embarking on a new career as a writer.
launch: The police have launched an investigation into the incident.
start|er /stɑː r tə r / (starters )
1 N‑COUNT A starter is a small quantity of food that is served as the first course of a meal. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use appetizer 2 N‑COUNT The starter of a car is the device that starts the engine.
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The starters in a race are the people or animals who take part at the beginning even if they do not finish. □ Of the 10 starters, four were eliminated or retired.
sta rt|er home (starter homes ) N‑COUNT A starter home is a small, new house or flat which is cheap enough for people who are buying their first home to afford.
sta rt|ing block (starting blocks ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Starting blocks are blocks which runners put their feet against to help them move quickly forward at the start of a race.
sta rt|ing point (starting points ) also starting-point
1 N‑COUNT Something that is a starting point for a discussion or process can be used to begin it or act as a basis for it. □ [+ for ] These proposals represent a realistic starting point for negotiation.
2 N‑COUNT When you make a journey, your starting point is the place from which you start. □ They had already walked a couple of miles or more from their starting point.
star|tle /stɑː r t ə l/ (startles , startling , startled ) VERB If something sudden and unexpected startles you, it surprises and frightens you slightly. □ [V n] The telephone startled him. □ [V n] The news will startle the City. ● star|tled ADJ □ Martha gave her a startled look.
star|tling /stɑː r təl I ŋ/ ADJ Something that is startling is so different, unexpected, or remarkable that people react to it with surprise. □ …startling new evidence.
sta rt-up (start-ups )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] The start-up costs of something such as a new business or new product are the costs of starting to run or produce it. [BUSINESS ] □ What is the minimum start-up capital for a Pizza franchise?
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A start-up company is a small business that has recently been started by someone. [BUSINESS ] □ Thousands and thousands of start-up firms have poured into the computer market. ● N‑COUNT Start-up is also a noun. □ For now the only bright spots in the labor market are small businesses and high-tech start-ups.
sta r tu rn (star turns ) N‑COUNT The star turn of a performance or show is the main item, or the one that is considered to be the most interesting or exciting. [mainly BRIT ]
star|va|tion /stɑː r ve I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu of/from N ] Starvation is extreme suffering or death, caused by lack of food. □ Over three hundred people have died of starvation since the beginning of the year.
starve /stɑː r v/ (starves , starving , starved )
1 VERB If people starve , they suffer greatly from lack of food which sometimes leads to their death. □ [V ] A number of the prisoners we saw are starving. □ [V + to ] In the 1930s, millions of Ukrainians starved to death or were deported. □ [V -ing] Getting food to starving people does nothing to stop the war.
2 VERB To starve someone means not to give them any food. □ [V n] They harassed and starved the Native people. □ [V pron-refl] Judy decided I was starving myself.
3 VERB If a person or thing is starved of something that they need, they are suffering because they are not getting enough of it. □ [be V -ed + of ] The electricity industry is not the only one to have been starved of investment.
starv|ing /stɑː r v I ŋ/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you say that you are starving , you mean that you are very hungry. [INFORMAL ] □ Apart from anything else I was starving.
stash /stæ ʃ/ (stashes , stashing , stashed )
1 VERB If you stash something valuable in a secret place, you store it there to keep it safe. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n prep] He had stashed cash in two safes in his office. [Also V n]
2 N‑COUNT A stash of something valuable is a secret store of it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ of ] Police found a stash of guns hidden in a cleaner's cupboard.
sta|sis /stæ s I s, [AM ] ste I -/ N‑UNCOUNT Stasis is a state in which something remains the same, and does not change or develop. [FORMAL ] □ Rock'n'roll had entered a period of stasis.
state ◆◆◆ /ste I t/ (states , stating , stated )
1 N‑COUNT You can refer to countries as states , particularly when you are discussing politics. □ Some weeks ago I recommended to E.U. member states that we should have discussions with the Americans.
2 N‑COUNT Some large countries such as the USA are divided into smaller areas called states . □ Leaders of the Southern states are meeting in Louisville.
3 N‑PROPER The USA is sometimes referred to as the States . [INFORMAL ]
4 N‑SING You can refer to the government of a country as the state . □ The state does not collect enough revenue to cover its expenditure.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] State industries or organizations are financed and organized by the government rather than private companies. □ …reform of the state social-security system.
6 → see state school
7 ADJ [ADJ n] A state occasion is a formal one involving the head of a country. □ The president arrived in Britain last night for his official state visit.
8 N‑COUNT [usu sing] When you talk about the state of someone or something, you are referring to the condition they are in or what they are like at a particular time. □ [+ of ] For the first few months after Daniel died, I was in a state of clinical depression. □ [+ of ] Look at the state of my car!
9 VERB If you state something, you say or write it in a formal or definite way. □ [V n] Clearly state your address and telephone number. □ [V that] The police report stated that he was arrested for allegedly assaulting an officer. □ [V with quote] 'Our relationship is totally platonic,' she stated. □ [V -ed] Buyers who do not apply within the stated period can lose their deposits.
10 → see also head of state , nation-state , police state , welfare state
11 PHRASE If you say that someone is not in a fit state to do something, you mean that they are too upset or ill to do it. □ When you left our place, you weren't in a fit state to drive.
12 PHRASE If you are in a state or if you get into a state , you are very upset or nervous about something. □ I was in a terrible state because nobody could understand why I had this illness.
13 PHRASE If the dead body of an important person lies in state , it is publicly displayed for a few days before it is buried. SYNONYMS state NOUN
1
country: …that disputed boundary between the two countries.
nation: The Arab nations agreed to meet in Baghdad.
kingdom: The kingdom's power declined.
2
region: …a remote mountainous region.
province: …the Algarve, Portugal's southernmost province.
district: …the home of the governor of the district. VERB 9
say: Did he say where he was going?
report: He seems to be all right now,' reported a relieved Taylor.
declare: He declared his intention to become the best golfer in the world.
express: He expressed grave concern at American attitudes.
Sta te De|part|ment ◆◇◇ N‑PROPER In the United States, the State Department is the government department that is concerned with foreign affairs. □ Officials at the State Department say the issue is urgent. □ …a senior State Department official.
state|hood /ste I thʊd/ N‑UNCOUNT Statehood is the condition of being an independent state or nation.
state|house /ste I thaʊs/ (statehouses ) N‑COUNT In the United States, a statehouse is where the governor of a state has his or her offices, and where the state legislature meets.
state|less /ste I tləs/ ADJ A person who is stateless is not a citizen of any country and therefore has no nationality. □ If I went back I'd be a stateless person.
state|let /ste I tlət/ (statelets ) N‑COUNT A statelet is a small independent state, especially one that until recently was part of a larger country. [JOURNALISM ]
state|ly /ste I tli/ ADJ Something or someone that is stately is impressive and graceful or dignified. □ Instead of moving at his usual stately pace, he was almost running.
sta te|ly ho me (stately homes ) N‑COUNT A stately home is a very large old house, especially one that people can pay to visit. [mainly BRIT ]
state|ment ◆◆◇ /ste I tmənt/ (statements )
1 N‑COUNT A statement is something that you say or write which gives information in a formal or definite way. □ 'Things are moving ahead.'– I found that statement vague and unclear.
2 N‑COUNT A statement is an official or formal announcement that is issued on a particular occasion. □ The statement by the military denied any involvement in last night's attack.
3 N‑COUNT You can refer to the official account of events which a suspect or a witness gives to the police as a statement . □ The 350-page report was based on statements from witnesses to the events.
4 N‑COUNT If you describe an action or thing as a statement , you mean that it clearly expresses a particular opinion or idea that you have. □ The following recipe is a statement of another kind–food is fun!
5 N‑COUNT A printed document showing how much money has been paid into and taken out of a bank or building society account is called a statement . COLLOCATIONS statement NOUN
1
adjective + statement : clear, simple; bold, sweeping; opening
statement + be + adjective : false, true
2
noun + statement : government, policy, press
adjective + statement : formal, official, political, public; brief, joint
verb + statement : make, issue, publish, release; read; withdraw
sta te of af|fai rs N‑SING If you refer to a particular state of affairs , you mean the general situation and circumstances connected with someone or something. □ This state of affairs cannot continue for too long, if parliament is to recover.
sta te of mind (states of mind ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] Your state of mind is your mood or mental state at a particular time. □ I want you to get into a whole new state of mind.
sta te of siege N‑SING A state of siege is a situation in which a government or other authority puts restrictions on the movement of people into or out of a country, town, or building. □ Under the state of siege, the police could arrest suspects without charges or warrants.
sta te-of-the-a rt ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as state-of-the-art , you mean that it is the best available because it has been made using the most modern techniques and technology. □ …the production of state-of-the-art military equipment.
state|room /ste I truːm/ (staterooms )
1 N‑COUNT On a passenger ship, a stateroom is a private room, especially one that is large and comfortable. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
2 N‑COUNT In a palace or other impressive building, a stateroom is a large room for use on formal occasions. [mainly BRIT ]
sta te school (state schools ) N‑COUNT A state school is a school that is controlled and funded by the government or a local authority, and which children can attend without having to pay. [BRIT ] in AM, use public school
state|side /ste I tsa I d/ also Stateside ADJ Stateside means in, from, or to the United States. [JOURNALISM , INFORMAL ] □ The band are currently planning a series of Stateside gigs. ● ADV [ADV after v] Stateside is also an adverb. □ His debut album was hugely successful Stateside.
states|man /ste I tsmən/ (statesmen )
1 N‑COUNT A statesman is an important and experienced politician, especially one who is widely known and respected. □ Hamilton is a great statesman and political thinker.
2 → see also elder statesman
states|man|like /ste I tsmənla I k/ ADJ If you describe someone, especially a political leader, as statesmanlike , you approve of them because they give the impression of being very able and experienced. [APPROVAL ] □ He was widely respected as a wise and statesmanlike governor.
states|man|ship /ste I tsmənʃ I p/ N‑UNCOUNT Statesmanship is the skill and activities of a statesman. □ He praised the two leaders warmly for their statesmanship.
state|wide /ste I twa I d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Statewide means across or throughout the whole of one of the states of the United States. □ These voters often determine the outcome of statewide elections. ● ADV [ADV after v] Statewide is also an adverb. □ In the weeks since flooding began, 16 people have died statewide.
stat|ic /stæ t I k/
1 ADJ Something that is static does not move or change. □ The number of young people obtaining qualifications has remained static or decreased.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Static or static electricity is electricity which can be caused by things rubbing against each other and which collects on things such as your body or metal objects.
3 N‑UNCOUNT If there is static on the radio or television, you hear a series of loud noises which spoils the sound.
sta|tion ◆◆◇ /ste I ʃ ə n/ (stations , stationing , stationed )
1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A station is a building by a railway line where trains stop so that people can get on or off. □ Ingrid went with him to the railway station to see him off.
2 N‑COUNT [n N ] A bus station is a building, usually in a town or city, where buses stop, usually for a while, so that people can get on or off.
3 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] If you talk about a particular radio or television station , you are referring to the programmes broadcast by a particular radio or television company. □ …an independent local radio station. □ It claims to be the most popular television station in the U.K.
4 V-PASSIVE If soldiers or officials are stationed in a place, they are sent there to do a job or to work for a period of time. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] Reports from the capital, Lome, say troops are stationed on the streets.
5 VERB If you station yourself somewhere, you go there and wait, usually for a particular purpose. [FORMAL ] □ [V pron-refl prep/adv] The musicians stationed themselves quickly on either side of the stairs.
6 → see also fire station , gas station , petrol station , police station , power station , service station , space station , way station
sta|tion|ary /ste I ʃənri, [AM ] -neri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is stationary is not moving. □ Stationary cars in traffic jams cause a great deal of pollution.
sta|tion|er /ste I ʃənə r / (stationers ) N‑COUNT A stationer is a person who sells paper, envelopes, pens, and other equipment used for writing.
sta|tion|ery /ste I ʃənri, [AM ] -neri/ N‑UNCOUNT Stationery is paper, envelopes, and other materials or equipment used for writing.
station|master /ste I ʃ ə nmɑːstə r , -mæstə r / (stationmasters ) also station master N‑COUNT A stationmaster is the official who is in charge of a railway station.
sta |tion wag|on (station wagons ) N‑COUNT A station wagon is a car with a long body, a door at the rear, and space behind the back seats. [AM ] in BRIT, use estate car
stat|ist /ste I t I st/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] When a country has statist policies, the state has a lot of control over the economy. □ …statist economic controls.
sta|tis|tic ◆◇◇ /stət I st I k/ (statistics )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Statistics are facts which are obtained from analysing information expressed in numbers, for example information about the number of times that something happens. □ Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%. □ There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.
2 → see also vital statistics
3 N‑UNCOUNT Statistics is a branch of mathematics concerned with the study of information that is expressed in numbers. □ …a professor of Mathematical Statistics.
sta|tis|ti|cal /stət I st I k ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Statistical means relating to the use of statistics. □ The report contains a great deal of statistical information. ● sta|tis|ti|cal|ly /stət I st I kli/ ADV [ADV adj] □ The results are not statistically significant.
stat|is|ti|cian /stæ t I st I ʃ ə n/ (statisticians ) N‑COUNT A statistician is a person who studies statistics or who works using statistics.
stats /stæ ts/
1 N‑PLURAL Stats are facts which are obtained from analysing information expressed in numbers. Stats is an abbreviation for 'statistics'. [INFORMAL ] □ …a fall in April's retail sales stats.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Stats is a branch of mathematics concerned with the study of information that is expressed in numbers. [INFORMAL ]
statu|ary /stæ tʃuəri, [AM ] -ueri/ N‑UNCOUNT If you talk about the statuary in a place, you are referring to all the statues and sculpture there. [FORMAL ]
statue /stæ tʃuː/ (statues ) N‑COUNT A statue is a large sculpture of a person or an animal, made of stone or metal.
statu|esque /stæ tʃue sk/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A statuesque woman is big and tall, and stands straight. [WRITTEN ] □ She was a statuesque brunette.
statu|ette /stæ tʃue t/ (statuettes ) N‑COUNT A statuette is a very small sculpture of a person or an animal which is often displayed on a shelf or stand.
stat|ure /stæ tʃə r /
1 N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss, in N ] Someone's stature is their height. □ It's more than his physical stature that makes him remarkable. □ She was a little short in stature.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss, oft in N ] The stature of a person is the importance and reputation that they have. □ Who can deny his stature as the world's greatest cellist?
sta|tus ◆◆◇ /ste I təs/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Your status is your social or professional position. □ The fact that the burial involved an expensive coffin signifies that the person was of high status. □ …women and men of wealth and status. □ … her former status as a vice-president of the Spanish Athletics Federation.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Status is the importance and respect that someone has among the public or a particular group. □ Nurses are undervalued, and they never enjoy the same status as doctors.
3 N‑UNCOUNT The status of something is the importance that people give it. □ Those things that can be assessed by external tests are being given unduly high status.
4 N‑UNCOUNT A particular status is an official description that says what category a person, organization, or place belongs to, and gives them particular rights or advantages. □ [+ as ] Bristol regained its status as a city in the local government reorganisation. □ [+ as ] …his status as a British citizen.
5 N‑UNCOUNT The status of something is its state of affairs at a particular time. □ What is your current financial status?
sta|tus quo /ste I təs kwoʊ / N‑SING The status quo is the state of affairs that exists at a particular time, especially in contrast to a different possible state of affairs. □ They have no wish for any change in the status quo.
sta |tus sym|bol (status symbols ) N‑COUNT A status symbol is something that a person has or owns that shows they have money or importance in society.
stat|ute /stæ tʃuːt/ (statutes ) N‑VAR A statute is a rule or law which has been made by a government or other organization and formally written down. □ The new statute covers the care for, bringing up and protection of children.
sta t|ute book (statute books ) N‑COUNT The statute book is a record of all the laws made by the government. [mainly BRIT ] □ The Bill could reach the statute book by the summer if it attracts the support of Home Office ministers.
statu|tory /stæ tʃʊtəri, [AM ] -tɔːri/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Statutory means relating to rules or laws which have been formally written down. [FORMAL ] □ We had a statutory duty to report to Parliament.
sta tu|tory ra pe N‑UNCOUNT In the United States, statutory rape is the crime committed by an adult when they have sex with someone who is under the age when they can legally agree to have sex.
staunch /stɔː ntʃ/ (stauncher , staunchest , staunches , staunching , staunched )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A staunch supporter or believer is very loyal to a person, organization, or set of beliefs, and supports them strongly. □ He's a staunch supporter of controls on government spending. ● staunch|ly ADV □ He was staunchly opposed to a public confession.
2 VERB To staunch the flow of something means to stop it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] The government claims this is the only way to staunch the annual flow to Germany of hundreds of thousands of refugees.
3 VERB To staunch a wound, or to staunch the blood from a wound, means to stop the wound from bleeding. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Tom tried to staunch the blood with his handkerchief.
stave /ste I v/ (staves , staving , staved )
1 N‑COUNT A stave is a strong stick, especially one that is used as a weapon. □ Many of the men had armed themselves with staves and pieces of iron.
2 N‑COUNT A stave is the five lines that music is written on. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use staff
▸ stave off PHRASAL VERB If you stave off something bad, or if you stave it off , you succeed in stopping it happening for a while. □ [V P n] The reforms were a desperate attempt to stave off defeat. □ [V n P ] But the reality of discovery was a different matter, and he did all he could to stave it off.
stay ◆◆◆ /ste I / (stays , staying , stayed )
1 VERB If you stay where you are, you continue to be there and do not leave. □ [V adv/prep] 'Stay here,' Trish said. 'I'll bring the car down the drive to take you back.'. □ [V adv/prep] In the old days the woman stayed at home and the man earned the money.
2 VERB If you stay in a town, or hotel, or at someone's house, you live there for a short time. □ [V prep/adv] Gordon stayed at The Park Hotel, Milan. □ [V n] He tried to stay a few months every year in Scotland. ● N‑COUNT Stay is also a noun. □ An experienced Indian guide is provided during your stay.
3 V‑LINK If someone or something stays in a particular state or situation, they continue to be in it. □ [V adv/prep] The Republican candidate said he would 'work like crazy to stay ahead'. □ [V adj] …community care networks that offer classes on how to stay healthy. [Also V n]
4 VERB If you stay away from a place, you do not go there. □ [V + from ] Government employers and officers also stayed away from work during the strike. □ Every single employee turned up at the meeting, even people who usually stayed away.
5 VERB If you stay out of something, you do not get involved in it. □ [V + of ] In the past, the U.N. has stayed out of the internal affairs of countries unless invited in.
6 PHRASE If you stay put , you remain somewhere. □ Nigel says for the moment he is very happy to stay put in Lyon.
7 PHRASE If you stay the night in a place, you sleep there for one night. □ They had invited me to come to supper and stay the night.
▸ stay in PHRASAL VERB If you stay in during the evening, you remain at home and do not go out. □ [V P ] Before we had our child the idea of staying in every night would have been horrific.
▸ stay on PHRASAL VERB If you stay on somewhere, you remain there after other people have left or after the time when you were going to leave. □ [V P ] He had managed to arrange to stay on in Adelaide. □ [V P ] …an allowance for poorer pupils who want to stay on at school.
▸ stay out PHRASAL VERB If you stay out at night, you remain away from home, especially when you are expected to be there. □ [V P ] That was the first time Elliot stayed out all night.
▸ stay up PHRASAL VERB If you stay up , you remain out of bed at a time when most people have gone to bed or at a time when you are normally in bed yourself. □ [V P adv/prep] I used to stay up late with my mom and watch movies.
sta y-at-home (stay-at-homes ) N‑COUNT [usu N n] If you describe someone as a stay-at-home , you mean that they stay at home rather than going out to work or travelling. □ 71 percent of households do not include a stay-at-home parent.
stay|ca|tion /ste I ke I ʃən/ (staycations ) also stacation N‑COUNT A staycation is a holiday that you spend in your own home or your own country, relaxing and enjoying leisure activities there. [INFORMAL ] □ The great British staycation is back in fashion with more British holidaymakers choosing not to jet off to the sun but to stay at home instead.
sta y|ing pow|er also staying-power N‑UNCOUNT If you have staying power , you have the strength or determination to keep going until you reach the end of what you are doing. □ Someone who lacks staying power and persistence is unlikely to make a good researcher.
sta y of ex|ecu |tion (stays of execution ) N‑COUNT If you are given a stay of execution , you are legally allowed to delay obeying an order of a court of law. [LEGAL ]
STD /e s tiː diː / (STDs ) N‑COUNT [usu N n] STD is an abbreviation for 'sexually transmitted disease'. [MEDICAL ] □ …an STD clinic.
stead /ste d/
1 PHRASE If you do something in someone's stead , you replace them and do it instead of them. [FORMAL ] □ We hope you will consent to act in his stead.
2 PHRASE If you say that something will stand someone in good stead , you mean that it will be very useful to them in the future. □ My years of teaching stood me in good stead.
stead|fast /ste dfɑːst, -fæst/ ADJ If someone is steadfast in something that they are doing, they are convinced that what they are doing is right and they refuse to change it or to give up. □ [+ in ] He remained steadfast in his belief that he had done the right thing.
steady ◆◇◇ /ste di/ (steadier , steadiest , steadies , steadying , steadied )
1 ADJ A steady situation continues or develops gradually without any interruptions and is not likely to change quickly. □ Despite the steady progress of building work, the campaign against it is still going strong. □ The improvement in standards has been steady and persistent. □ A student doesn't have a steady income. ● steadi|ly /ste d I li/ ADV [ADV with v] □ Relax as much as possible and keep breathing steadily.
2 ADJ If an object is steady , it is firm and does not shake or move about. □ Get as close to the subject as you can and hold the camera steady.
3 ADJ If you look at someone or speak to them in a steady way, you look or speak in a calm, controlled way. □ 'Well, go on,' said Camilla, her voice fairly steady. ● steadi|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ He moved back a little and stared steadily at Elaine.
4 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you describe a person as steady , you mean that they are sensible and reliable. □ He was firm and steady unlike other men she knew.
5 VERB If you steady something or if it steadies , it stops shaking or moving about. □ [V n] Two men were on the bridge-deck, steadying a ladder. □ [V ] Lovelock eased back the throttles and the ship steadied.
6 VERB If you steady yourself , you control your voice or expression, so that people will think that you are calm and not nervous. □ [V pron-refl] Her face turned away, and he saw she was trying to steady herself. □ [V n] She breathed in to steady her voice.
7 EXCLAM You say ' steady on ' to someone to tell them to calm down or to be careful about what they are saying. □ 'What if there's another murder?'—'Steady on!'
steak /ste I k/ (steaks )
1 N‑VAR A steak is a large flat piece of beef without much fat on it. You cook it by grilling or frying it.
2 → see also rump steak , T-bone steak
3 N‑UNCOUNT Steak is beef that is used for making stews. It is often cut into cubes to be sold. □ …steak and kidney pie.
4 → see also stewing steak
5 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A fish steak is a large piece of fish that contains few bones. □ …fresh salmon steaks.
stea k house (steak houses ) also steakhouse N‑COUNT A steak house is a restaurant that serves mainly steaks.
steal ◆◇◇ /stiː l/ (steals , stealing , stole , stolen )
1 VERB If you steal something from someone, you take it away from them without their permission and without intending to return it. □ [V n] He was accused of stealing a small boy's bicycle. □ [V n + from ] Bridge stole the money from clients' accounts. □ [V ] Sometimes she had to steal to eat. □ [V -ing] She has since been jailed for six months for stealing from the tills. ● sto|len ADJ □ We have now found the stolen car.
2 VERB If you steal someone else's ideas, you pretend that they are your own. □ [V n] A writer is suing the director for allegedly stealing his film idea.
3 VERB If someone steals somewhere, they move there quietly, in a secret way. [LITERARY ] □ [V adv/prep] They can steal away at night and join us. □ [V adv/prep] Leroy stole up the hall to the parlor.
4 to steal a glance → see glance
5 to steal a march on someone → see march
6 to steal the show → see show
7 to steal someone's thunder → see thunder
stealth /ste lθ/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft by N ] If you use stealth when you do something, you do it quietly and carefully so that no one will notice what you are doing. □ Health policy is being changed by stealth without consultation.
stea lth tax (stealth taxes ) N‑COUNT Journalists sometimes refer to indirect taxes as stealth taxes . [DISAPPROVAL , BRIT , JOURNALISM ] □ It's good that he used direct taxation rather than stealth taxes to raise the money.
stealthy /ste lθi/ (stealthier , stealthiest ) ADJ Stealthy actions or movements are performed quietly and carefully, so that no one will notice what you are doing. □ I would creep in and with stealthy footsteps explore the second-floor. ● stealthi|ly /ste lθ I li/ ADV [ADV with v] □ Slowly and stealthily, someone was creeping up the stairs.
steam ◆◇◇ /stiː m/ (steams , steaming , steamed )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Steam is the hot mist that forms when water boils. Steam vehicles and machines are operated using steam as a means of power. □ In an electric power plant the heat converts water into high-pressure steam. □ …the invention of the steam engine.
2 VERB If something steams , it gives off steam. □ [V ] …restaurants where coffee pots steamed on their burners. □ [V -ing] …a basket of steaming bread rolls.
3 VERB If you steam food or if it steams , you cook it in steam rather than in water. □ [V n] Steam the carrots until they are just beginning to be tender. □ [V ] Leave the vegetables to steam over the rice for the 20 minutes cooking time. □ [V -ed] …steamed clams and broiled chicken.
4 PHRASE If something such as a plan or a project goes full steam ahead , it progresses quickly. □ The Government is going full steam ahead with its privatisation programme.
5 PHRASE If you let off steam , you get rid of your energy, anger, or strong emotions with physical activity or by behaving in a noisy or violent way. [INFORMAL ] □ Exercise is a good way of relaxing or letting off steam.
6 PHRASE If you run out of steam , you stop doing something because you have no more energy or enthusiasm left. [INFORMAL ] □ I decided to paint the bathroom ceiling but ran out of steam halfway through.
▸ steam ahead PHRASAL VERB If an economy or company steams ahead , it becomes stronger and more successful. □ [V P ] The latest figures show industrial production steaming ahead at an 8.8 per cent annual rate.
▸ steam up
1 PHRASAL VERB If someone gets steamed up about something, they are very annoyed about it. □ [get V -ed P + about ] The general manager may have got steamed up about nothing.
2 PHRASAL VERB When a window, mirror, or pair of glasses steams up , it becomes covered with steam or mist. □ [V P ] …the irritation of living with lenses that steam up when you come in from the cold.
steam|boat /stiː mboʊt/ (steamboats ) N‑COUNT A steamboat is a boat or ship that has an engine powered by steam.
steam|er /stiː mə r / (steamers )
1 N‑COUNT A steamer is a ship that has an engine powered by steam.
2 N‑COUNT A steamer is a special container used for steaming food such as vegetables and fish.
stea m iron (steam irons ) N‑COUNT A steam iron is an electric iron that produces steam from water that you put into it. The steam makes it easier to get the creases out of your clothes.
steam|roller /stiː mroʊlə r / (steamrollers , steamrollering , steamrollered )
1 N‑COUNT A steamroller is a large, heavy vehicle with wide, solid metal wheels, which is used to make the surface of a road flat. In the past steamrollers were powered by steam.
2 VERB If you steamroller someone who disagrees with you or opposes you, you defeat them or you force them to do what you want by using your power or by putting a lot of pressure on them. □ [V n] They could simply steamroller all opposition.
steam|ship /stiː mʃ I p/ (steamships ) N‑COUNT A steamship is a ship that has an engine powered by steam.
steamy /stiː mi/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Steamy means involving exciting sex. [INFORMAL ] □ He'd had a steamy affair with an office colleague.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A steamy place has hot, wet air. □ …a steamy cafe.
steed /stiː d/ (steeds ) N‑COUNT A steed is a large strong horse used for riding. [LITERARY ]
steel ◆◇◇ /stiː l/ (steels , steeling , steeled )
1 N‑VAR [oft N n] Steel is a very strong metal which is made mainly from iron. Steel is used for making many things, for example bridges, buildings, vehicles, and cutlery. □ …steel pipes. □ …the iron and steel industry. □ The front wall is made of corrugated steel.
2 → see also stainless steel
3 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Steel is used to refer to the industry that produces steel and items made of steel. □ …a three-month study of European steel.
4 VERB If you steel yourself , you prepare to deal with something unpleasant. □ [V pron-refl + for/against ] Those involved are steeling themselves for the coming battle. □ [V pron-refl to-inf] I was steeling myself to call round when Simon arrived.
stee l band (steel bands ) N‑COUNT A steel band is a band of people who play music on special metal drums. Steel bands started in the West Indies.
steel|maker /stiː lme I ke r / (steelmakers ) N‑COUNT A steelmaker is a company that makes steel.
stee l woo l N‑UNCOUNT Steel wool is a mass of fine steel threads twisted together into a small ball and used for cleaning hard surfaces or removing paint.
steel|worker /stiː lwɜː r kə r / (steelworkers ) also steel worker N‑COUNT A steelworker is a person who works in a factory where steel is made.
steel|works /stiː lwɜː r ks/ (steelworks ) N‑COUNT A steelworks is a factory where steel is made.
steely /stiː li/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Steely is used to emphasize that a person is hard, strong, and determined. [EMPHASIS ] □ Their indecision has been replaced by confidence and steely determination.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use steely to describe something that has the grey colour of steel. □ …steely grey hair.
steep /stiː p/ (steeper , steepest )
1 ADJ A steep slope rises at a very sharp angle and is difficult to go up. □ San Francisco is built on 40 hills and some are very steep. □ …a narrow, steep-sided valley. ● steep|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ The road climbs steeply, with good views of Orvieto through the trees. □ …steeply terraced valleys. □ …houses with steeply sloping roofs.
2 ADJ A steep increase or decrease in something is a very big increase or decrease. □ Consumers are rebelling at steep price increases. ● steep|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Unemployment is rising steeply.
3 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that the price of something is steep , you mean that it is expensive. [INFORMAL ] □ The annual premium can be a little steep, but will be well worth it if your dog is injured.
steeped /stiː pt/ ADJ If a place or person is steeped in a quality or characteristic, they are surrounded by it or deeply influenced by it. □ [+ in ] The castle is steeped in history and legend.
steep|en /stiː pən/ (steepens , steepening , steepened ) VERB If a slope or an angle steepens , it becomes steeper. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] The road steepened and then levelled out suddenly.
stee|ple /stiː p ə l/ (steeples ) N‑COUNT A steeple is a tall pointed structure on top of the tower of a church.
steeple|chase /stiː p ə ltʃe I s/ (steeplechases )
1 N‑COUNT A steeplechase is a long horse race in which the horses have to jump over obstacles such as hedges and water jumps.
2 N‑COUNT A steeplechase is a 3000 metres race around a track, during which people jump over obstacles and water jumps.
steer /st I ə r / (steers , steering , steered )
1 VERB When you steer a car, boat, or plane, you control it so that it goes in the direction that you want. □ [V n] What is it like to steer a ship this size? □ [V n prep] When I was a kid, about six or seven, she would often let me steer the car along our driveway. [Also V ]
2 VERB If you steer people towards a particular course of action or attitude, you try to lead them gently in that direction. □ [V n prep] The new government is seen as one that will steer the country in the right direction.
3 VERB If you steer someone in a particular direction, you guide them there. □ [V n prep] Nick steered them into the nearest seats.
4 VERB If you steer a particular course , you take a particular line of action. □ [V n prep] The Prime Minister has sought to steer a course between the two groups.
5 → see also steering
6 PHRASE If you steer clear of someone or something, you deliberately avoid them. □ I think a lot of people, women in particular, steer clear of these sensitive issues.
steer|ing /st I ə r I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT The steering in a car or other vehicle is the mechanical parts of it which make it possible to steer.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A steering committee or a steering group is a group of people that organizes the early stages of a project, and makes sure it progresses in a satisfactory way. □ There will be an economic steering committee with representatives of each of the republics.
stee r|ing col|umn (steering columns ) N‑COUNT In a car or other vehicle, the steering column is the rod on which the steering wheel is fixed.
stee r|ing wheel (steering wheels ) N‑COUNT In a car or other vehicle, the steering wheel is the wheel which the driver holds when he or she is driving.
stel|lar /ste lə r /
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Stellar is used to describe anything connected with stars. □ A stellar wind streams outward from the star.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A stellar person or thing is considered to be very good. □ The French companies are registering stellar profits.
stem ◆◇◇ /ste m/ (stems , stemming , stemmed )
1 VERB If a condition or problem stems from something, it was caused originally by that thing. □ [V + from ] Much of the instability stems from the economic effects of the war.
2 VERB If you stem something, you stop it spreading, increasing, or continuing. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Austria has sent three army battalions to its border with Hungary to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.
3 N‑COUNT The stem of a plant is the thin, upright part on which the flowers and leaves grow. □ He stooped down, cut the stem for her with his knife and handed her the flower.
4 N‑COUNT The stem of a wine glass is the long thin part which connects the bowl to the base.
5 N‑COUNT The stem of a pipe is the long thin part through which smoke is sucked.
6 N‑COUNT In grammar, the stem of a word is the main part of it, which does not change when the ending changes. COLLOCATIONS stem VERB
1
noun + stem : dispute, problem
stem + adverb : directly, largely, partly
2
stem + noun : flood, flow, spread, tide; loss, violence SYNONYMS stem VERB 1
originate: All carbohydrates originate from plants.
derive: Anna's strength is derived from her parents and her sisters.
arise: …an overwhelming sense of guilt arising from my actions.
flow: Undesirable consequences flow from these misconceptions.
ste m cell (stem cells ) N‑COUNT A stem cell is a type of cell that can produce other cells which are able to develop into any kind of cell in the body.
-stemmed /-stemd/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -stemmed is added to adjectives to form adjectives which indicate what the stem of something is like. □ …an enormous bouquet of long-stemmed roses.
stench /ste ntʃ/ (stenches ) N‑COUNT A stench is a strong and very unpleasant smell. □ [+ of ] The stench of burning rubber was overpowering.
sten|cil /ste ns ə l/ (stencils , stencilling , stencilled ) in AM, use stenciling , stenciled 1 N‑COUNT A stencil is a piece of paper, plastic, or metal which has a design cut out of it. You place the stencil on a surface and paint it so that paint goes through the holes and leaves a design on the surface.
2 VERB If you stencil a design or if you stencil a surface with a design, you put a design on a surface using a stencil. □ [V n + with ] He then stencilled the ceiling with a moon and stars motif. [Also V n]
ste|nog|ra|pher /stənɒ grəfə r / (stenographers ) N‑COUNT A stenographer is a person who types and writes shorthand, usually in an office. [AM ] in BRIT, use shorthand typist
sten|to|rian /stentɔː riən/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A stentorian voice is very loud and strong. [FORMAL ] □ He bellowed in a stentorian voice.
step ◆◆◆ /ste p/ (steps , stepping , stepped )
1 N‑COUNT If you take a step , you lift your foot and put it down in a different place, for example when you are walking. □ I took a step towards him. □ She walked on a few steps. □ He heard steps in the corridor.
2 VERB If you step on something or step in a particular direction, you put your foot on the thing or move your foot in that direction. □ [V prep/adv] This was the moment when Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the Moon. □ [V prep/adv] She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train.
3 N‑COUNT Steps are a series of surfaces at increasing or decreasing heights, on which you put your feet in order to walk up or down to a different level. □ This little room was along a passage and down some steps. □ A flight of stone steps leads to the terrace.
4 N‑COUNT A step is a raised flat surface in front of a door. □ A little girl was sitting on the step of the end house.
5 → see also doorstep
6 N‑COUNT A step is one of a series of actions that you take in order to achieve something. □ He greeted the agreement as the first step towards peace. □ She is not content with her present lot and wishes to take steps to improve it.
7 N‑COUNT A step in a process is one of a series of stages. □ The next step is to put the theory into practice.
8 N‑COUNT The steps of a dance are the sequences of foot movements which make it up.
9 N‑SING Someone's step is the way they walk. □ He quickened his step.
10 PHRASE If you stay one step ahead of someone or something, you manage to achieve more than they do or avoid competition or danger from them. □ Successful travel is partly a matter of keeping one step ahead of the crowd.
11 PHRASE If people who are walking or dancing are in step , they are moving their feet forward at exactly the same time as each other. If they are out of step , their feet are moving forward at different times. □ They were almost the same height and they moved perfectly in step.
12 PHRASE If people are in step with each other, their ideas or opinions are the same. If they are out of step with each other, their ideas or opinions are different. □ Moscow is anxious to stay in step with Washington.
13 PHRASE If you tell someone to step on it , you are telling them to go faster or hurry up. [INFORMAL ] □ We've only got thirty-five minutes so step on it.
14 PHRASE If you do something step by step , you do it by progressing gradually from one stage to the next. □ I am not rushing things and I'm taking it step by step. □ Follow our simple step-by-step instructions.
15 PHRASE If someone tells you to watch your step , they are warning you to be careful about how you behave or what you say so that you do not get into trouble.
▸ step aside → see step down
▸ step back PHRASAL VERB If you step back and think about a situation, you think about it as if you were not involved in it. □ [V P ] I stepped back and analysed the situation. □ [V P + from ] It was necessary to step back from the project and look at it as a whole.
▸ step down or step aside PHRASAL VERB If someone steps down or steps aside , they resign from an important job or position, often in order to let someone else take their place. □ [V P + as ] Judge Ito said that he would step down as trial judge. □ [V P ] Many would prefer to see him step aside in favour of a younger man.
▸ step in PHRASAL VERB If you step in , you get involved in a difficult situation because you think you can or should help with it. □ [V P ] There are circumstances in which the State must step in to protect children.
▸ step out PHRASAL VERB If someone steps out of a role or situation, they leave it. □ [V P + of ] I've had to step out of the role of president because I can't do the job. [Also V P ]
▸ step up PHRASAL VERB If you step up something, you increase it or increase its intensity. □ [V P n] He urged donors to step up their efforts to send aid to the region. [Also V n P ] SYNONYMS step NOUN 1
pace: Take three paces forwards.
stride: He walked with long strides.
footstep: I heard footsteps outside. VERB 2
walk: She turned and walked away.
tread: She trod casually, enjoying the touch of the damp grass on her feet.
pace: He found John pacing around the flat, unable to sleep.
stride: He turned abruptly and strode off down the corridor.
step|brother /ste pbrʌðə r / (stepbrothers ) also step-brother N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's stepbrother is the son of their stepfather or stepmother.
ste p-by-ste p → see step
ste p change (step changes ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] A step change is a sudden or major change in the way that something happens or the way that someone behaves. □ [+ in ] We now need a step change in our secondary schools to match that achieved in our primaries.
step|child /ste ptʃa I ld/ (stepchildren ) also step-child N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's stepchild is a child that was born to their husband or wife during a previous relationship.
step|daughter /ste pdɔːtə r / (stepdaughters ) also step-daughter N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's stepdaughter is a daughter that was born to their husband or wife during a previous relationship.
step|father /ste pfɑːðə r / (stepfathers ) also step-father N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's stepfather is the man who has married their mother after the death or divorce of their father.
step|ladder /ste plædə r / (stepladders ) N‑COUNT A stepladder is a portable ladder that is made of two sloping parts that are hinged together at the top so that it will stand up on its own.
step|mother /ste pmʌðə r / (stepmothers ) also step-mother N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's stepmother is the woman who has married their father after the death or divorce of their mother.
step|parent /ste ppeərənt/ (stepparents ) also step-parent N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's stepparent is their stepmother or stepfather.
steppe /ste p/ (steppes ) N‑UNCOUNT Steppes are large areas of flat grassy land where there are no trees, especially the area that stretches from Eastern Europe across the south of the former Soviet Union to Siberia.
ste p|ping stone (stepping stones ) also stepping-stone
1 N‑COUNT You can describe a job or event as a stepping stone when it helps you to make progress, especially in your career. □ [+ to ] Many students now see university as a stepping stone to a good job.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Stepping stones are a line of large stones which you can walk on in order to cross a shallow stream or river.
step|sister /ste ps I stə r / (stepsisters ) also step-sister N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's stepsister is the daughter of their stepfather or stepmother.
step|son /ste psʌn/ (stepsons ) also step-son N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's stepson is a son born to their husband or wife during a previous relationship.
ste|reo /ste rioʊ/ (stereos )
1 ADJ Stereo is used to describe a sound system in which the sound is played through two speakers. Compare mono . □ …loudspeakers that give all-around stereo sound.
2 N‑COUNT A stereo is a cassette or CD player with two speakers.
ste|reo|type /ste riəta I p/ (stereotypes , stereotyping , stereotyped )
1 N‑COUNT A stereotype is a fixed general image or set of characteristics that a lot of people believe represent a particular type of person or thing. □ Many men feel their body shape doesn't live up to the stereotype of the ideal man.
2 VERB [usu passive] If someone is stereotyped as something, people form a fixed general idea or image of them, so that it is assumed that they will behave in a particular way. □ [be V -ed + as ] He was stereotyped by some as a rebel. □ [be V -ed] I get very worked up about the way women are stereotyped in a lot of mainstream films.
ste|reo|typi|cal /ste rioʊt I p I k ə l/ ADJ A stereotypical idea of a type of person or thing is a fixed general idea that a lot of people have about it, that may be false in many cases. □ Dara challenges our stereotypical ideas about gender and femininity.
ster|ile /ste ra I l, [AM ] -rəl/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is sterile is completely clean and free from germs. □ He always made sure that any cuts were protected by sterile dressings. ● ste|ril|ity /stər I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the antiseptic sterility of the hospital.
2 ADJ A person or animal that is sterile is unable to have or produce babies. □ George was sterile. □ …a sterile male. ● ste|ril|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ This disease causes sterility in both males and females.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A sterile situation is lacking in energy and new ideas. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Too much time has been wasted in sterile debate. ● ste|ril|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the sterility of Dorothea's life in industry.
steri|lize /ste r I la I z/ (sterilizes , sterilizing , sterilized ) in BRIT, also use sterilise 1 VERB If you sterilize a thing or a place, you make it completely clean and free from germs. □ [V n] Sulphur is also used to sterilize equipment. ● steri|li|za|tion /ste r I la I ze I ʃ ə n, [AM ] -l I z-/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the pasteurization and sterilization of milk.
2 VERB [usu passive] If a person or an animal is sterilized , they have a medical operation that makes it impossible for them to have or produce babies. □ [be V -ed] My wife was sterilized after the birth of her fourth child. ● steri|li|za|tion (sterilizations ) N‑VAR □ In some cases, a sterilization is performed through the vaginal wall.
ster|ling ◆◆◇ /stɜː r l I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Sterling is the money system of Great Britain. □ The stamps had to be paid for in sterling.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Sterling means very good in quality; used to describe someone's work or character. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ Those are sterling qualities to be admired in anyone.
stern /stɜː r n/ (sterner , sternest , sterns )
1 ADJ Stern words or actions are very severe. □ She issued a stern warning to those who persist in violence. ● stern|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ 'We will take the necessary steps,' she said sternly.
2 ADJ Someone who is stern is very serious and strict. □ Her father was stern and hard to please.
3 N‑COUNT The stern of a boat is the back part of it.
ster|num /stɜː r nəm/ (sternums ) N‑COUNT Your sternum is the long flat bone which goes from your throat to the bottom of your ribs and to which your ribs are attached. [MEDICAL ]
ster|oid /ste rɔ I d, [AM ] st I r-/ (steroids ) N‑COUNT A steroid is a type of chemical substance found in your body. Steroids can be artificially introduced into the bodies of athletes to improve their strength.
stetho|scope /ste θəskoʊp/ (stethoscopes ) N‑COUNT A stethoscope is an instrument that a doctor uses to listen to your heart and breathing. It consists of a small disc that is placed on your body, connected to a hollow tube with two pieces that the doctor puts in his or her ears.
Stet|son /ste ts ə n/ (Stetsons ) N‑COUNT A Stetson is a type of hat with a wide brim that is traditionally worn by cowboys. [TRADEMARK ]
ste|via /stiː viə/ N‑UNCOUNT Stevia is a substance taken from a plant which is used to make food taste sweet without adding any calories. □ We sweeten our cookies with stevia.
stew /stjuː , [AM ] stuː / (stews , stewing , stewed )
1 N‑VAR A stew is a meal which you make by cooking meat and vegetables in liquid at a low temperature. □ She served him a bowl of lamb stew. □ They made a stew.
2 VERB When you stew meat, vegetables, or fruit, you cook them slowly in liquid in a closed dish. □ [V n] Stew the apple and blackberries to make a thick pulp.
stew|ard /stjuː ə r d, [AM ] stuː -/ (stewards )
1 N‑COUNT A steward is a man who works on a ship, plane, or train, looking after passengers and serving meals to them.
2 N‑COUNT A steward is a man or woman who helps to organize a race, march, or other public event.
3 → see also shop steward
stew|ard|ess /stjuː ə r de s, stuː -/ (stewardesses ) N‑COUNT A stewardess is a woman who works on a ship, plane, or train, looking after passengers and serving meals to them.
stew|ard|ship /stjuː ə r dʃ I p, [AM ] stuː -/ N‑UNCOUNT Stewardship is the responsibility of looking after property. [FORMAL ]
ste w|ing steak N‑UNCOUNT Stewing steak is beef which is suitable for cooking slowly in a stew. [BRIT ] in AM, use stew meat
ste w meat N‑UNCOUNT Stew meat is the same as stewing steak . [AM ]
stick
➊ NOUN USES
➋ VERB USES
➊ stick ◆◇◇ /st I k/ (sticks )
1 N‑COUNT A stick is a thin branch which has fallen off a tree. □ …people carrying bundles of dried sticks to sell for firewood.
2 N‑COUNT A stick is a long thin piece of wood which is used for supporting someone's weight or for hitting people or animals. □ He looks old and walks with a stick. □ Crowds armed with sticks and stones took to the streets.
3 → see also carrot and stick
4 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A stick is a long thin piece of wood which is used for a particular purpose. □ …kebab sticks. □ …lolly sticks. □ …drum sticks.
5 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] Some long thin objects that are used in sports are called sticks . □ …lacrosse sticks. □ …hockey sticks. □ …ski-sticks.
6 N‑COUNT [n N ] A stick of something is a long thin piece of it. □ [+ of ] …a stick of celery. □ …cinnamon sticks.
7 N‑UNCOUNT If you give someone some stick , you criticize them or tease them roughly. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ It's not motorists who give you the most stick, it's the general public. □ I get some stick from the lads because of my faith but I don't mind.
8 N‑PLURAL If you say that someone lives in the sticks , you mean that they live a long way from any large cities. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ He lived out in the sticks somewhere.
9 PHRASE If someone gets the wrong end of the stick or gets hold of the wrong end of the stick , they do not understand something correctly and get the wrong idea about it. [INFORMAL ]
➋ stick ◆◆◇ /st I k/ (sticks , sticking , stuck )
→ Please look at category 13 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 VERB If you stick something somewhere, you put it there in a rather casual way. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n prep/adv] He folded the papers and stuck them in his desk drawer. □ [V n prep/adv] Jack opened his door and stuck his head out.
2 VERB If you stick a pointed object in something, or if it sticks in something, it goes into it or through it by making a cut or hole. □ [V n + in/into/through ] Some punk stuck a knife in her last night. □ [V n + in/into/through ] The soldiers went at once to the mound and began to stick their bayonets through it. □ [V + in ] The knife stuck in the ground at his feet.
3 VERB If something is sticking out from a surface or object, it extends up or away from it. If something is sticking into a surface or object, it is partly in it. □ [V adv/prep] They lay where they had fallen from the crane, sticking out of the water. □ [V adv/prep] His hair sticks up in half a dozen directions. □ [V adv/prep] …when we see her with lots of tubes and needles sticking into her little body.
4 VERB If you stick one thing to another, you attach it using glue, sticky tape, or another sticky substance. □ [V n prep] We just stuck it to the window. □ [V n with adv] He has nowhere to stick up his posters. □ [V n with adv] Stick down any loose bits of flooring.
5 VERB If one thing sticks to another, it becomes attached to it and is difficult to remove. □ [V + to ] Peel away the waxed paper if it has stuck to the bottom of the cake. □ [V together ] If left to stand, cooked pasta sticks together.
6 VERB If something sticks in your mind, you remember it for a long time. □ [V + in ] There was one journey that particularly sticks in my mind.
7 VERB If something which can usually be moved sticks , it becomes fixed in one position. □ [V ] The needle on the dial went right round to fifty, and there it stuck.
8 → see also stuck
9 to stick in your throat → see throat
▸ stick around PHRASAL VERB If you stick around , you stay where you are, often because you are waiting for something. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] Stick around a while and see what develops. [Also V P n]
▸ stick at PHRASAL VERB If you stick at a task or activity, you continue doing it, even if it is difficult. □ [V P n] You will find it hard at first, but stick at it.
▸ stick by
1 PHRASAL VERB If you stick by someone, you continue to give them help or support. □ [V P n] …friends who stuck by me during the difficult times as Council Leader.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you stick by a promise, agreement, decision, or principle, you do what you said you would do, or do not change your mind. □ [V P n] But I made my decision then and stuck by it.
▸ stick out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you stick out part of your body, you extend it away from your body. □ [V P n] She made a face and stuck out her tongue at him. □ [V n P ] He stuck his hand out and he said, 'Good evening.'
2 to stick your neck out → see neck
3 PHRASAL VERB If something sticks out , it is very noticeable because it is unusual. □ [V P + from ] What had Cutter done to make him stick out from the crowd?
4 to stick out a mile → see mile
5 to stick out like a sore thumb → see thumb
6 PHRASE If someone in an unpleasant or difficult situation sticks it out , they do not leave or give up. □ I really didn't like New York, but I wanted to stick it out a little bit longer.
▸ stick to
1 PHRASAL VERB If you stick to something or someone when you are travelling, you stay close to them. □ [V P n] There are interesting hikes inland, but most ramblers stick to the clifftops.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you stick to something, you continue doing, using, saying, or talking about it, rather than changing to something else. □ [V P n] Perhaps he should have stuck to writing.
3 PHRASAL VERB If you stick to a promise, agreement, decision, or principle, you do what you said you would do, or do not change your mind. □ [V P n] Immigrant support groups are waiting to see if he sticks to his word. □ [V P n] But one problem is that few people can stick to a diet for long.
4 to stick to your guns → see gun
5 PHRASAL VERB If you stick to rules, you do what they say you must do. □ [V P n] Obviously we are disappointed but the committee could do nothing less than stick to the rules. □ [V P n] Police must stick to the highest standards if they are to win back public confidence.
▸ stick together PHRASAL VERB If people stick together , they stay with each other and support each other. □ [V P ] If we all stick together, we ought to be okay.
▸ stick up for PHRASAL VERB If you stick up for a person or a principle, you support or defend them forcefully. □ [V P P n] I can stick up for myself.
▸ stick with
1 PHRASAL VERB If you stick with something, you do not change to something else. □ [V P n] They prefer, in the end, to stick with what they know.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you stick with someone, you stay close to them. □ [V P n] She pulled the woman to her side saying: 'You just stick with me, dear.'
stick|er /st I kə r / (stickers )
1 N‑COUNT A sticker is a small piece of paper or plastic, with writing or a picture on one side, which you can stick onto a surface.
2 → see also bumper sticker
sti ck|ing plas|ter (sticking plasters ) N‑VAR Sticking plaster is material that you can stick over a cut or wound in order to protect it. A sticking plaster is a piece of this material. [BRIT ] in AM, use Band-Aid
sti ck|ing point (sticking points ) also sticking-point N‑COUNT [usu sing] A sticking point in a discussion or series of negotiations is a point on which the people involved cannot agree and which may delay or stop the talks. A sticking point is also one aspect of a problem which you have trouble dealing with. □ The main sticking point was the question of taxes.
sti ck in|sect (stick insects ) also stick-insect N‑COUNT A stick insect is an insect with a long body and thin legs. It looks like a small stick.
sti ck-in-the-mud (stick-in-the-muds ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a stick-in-the-mud , you disapprove of them because they do not like doing anything that is new or fun. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
stickle|back /st I k ə lbæk/ (sticklebacks ) N‑COUNT A stickleback is a small fish which has sharp points along its back.
stick|ler /st I klə r / (sticklers ) N‑COUNT If you are a stickler for something, you always demand or require it. □ [+ for ] Lucy was a stickler for perfection, and everything had to be exactly right.
sti ck-on ADJ [ADJ n] Stick-on labels, shapes, and objects have a sticky material on one side so that they will stick to things.
sti ck shift (stick shifts ) N‑COUNT A stick shift is the lever that you use to change gear in a car or other vehicle. [AM ] in BRIT, usually use gear lever
sticky /st I ki/ (stickier , stickiest )
1 ADJ A sticky substance is soft, or thick and liquid, and can stick to other things. Sticky things are covered with a sticky substance. □ …sticky toffee. □ If the dough is sticky, add more flour. □ Peel away the sticky paper.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A sticky situation involves problems or is embarrassing. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ Inevitably the transition will yield some sticky moments.
3 ADJ Sticky weather is unpleasantly hot and damp. □ …four desperately hot, sticky days in the middle of August.
sti cky ta pe N‑UNCOUNT Sticky tape is clear sticky tape that is sold in rolls and that you use, for example, to stick paper or card together, or to stick things onto a wall. [BRIT ] in AM, use Scotch tape
stiff /st I f/ (stiffer , stiffest )
1 ADJ Something that is stiff is firm or does not bend easily. □ His waterproof trousers were brand new and stiff. □ Clean the mussels with a stiff brush under cold running water. ● stiff|ly ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] □ Moira sat stiffly upright in her straight-backed chair.
2 ADJ Something such as a door or drawer that is stiff does not move as easily as it should. □ Train door handles are stiff so that they cannot be opened accidentally.
3 ADJ If you are stiff , your muscles or joints hurt when you move, because of illness or because of too much exercise. □ Massage will relieve tension and stiff muscles. □ I'm stiff all over right now–I hope I can recover for tomorrow's race. ● stiff|ly ADV □ He climbed stiffly from the Volkswagen.
4 ADJ Stiff behaviour is rather formal and not very friendly or relaxed. □ They always seemed a little awkward with each other, a bit stiff and formal. ● stiff|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ 'Why don't you borrow your sister's car?' said Cassandra stiffly. □ …a stiffly worded letter of complaint.
5 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Stiff can be used to mean difficult or severe. □ The film faces stiff competition for the Best Film nomination. □ Under the country's stiff anti-corruption laws they could face twenty years in jail.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] A stiff drink is a large amount of a strong alcoholic drink. □ …a stiff whisky.
7 ADV [adj ADV ] If you are bored stiff , worried stiff , or scared stiff , you are extremely bored, worried, or scared. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ Anna tried to look interested. Actually, she was bored stiff.
stiff|en /st I f ə n/ (stiffens , stiffening , stiffened )
1 VERB If you stiffen , you stop moving and stand or sit with muscles that are suddenly tense, for example because you feel afraid or angry. □ [V ] Ada stiffened at the sound of his voice.
2 VERB If your muscles or joints stiffen , or if something stiffens them, they become difficult to bend or move. □ [V ] The blood supply to the skin is reduced when muscles stiffen. [Also V n] ● PHRASAL VERB Stiffen up means the same as stiffen . □ [V P n] These clothes restrict your freedom of movement and stiffen up the whole body. [Also V n P ]
3 VERB [usu passive] If something such as cloth is stiffened , it is made firm so that it does not bend easily. □ [be V -ed] This special paper was actually thin, soft Sugiwara paper that had been stiffened with a kind of paste.
▸ stiffen up → see stiffen 2
sti ff-ne cked also stiffnecked ADJ If you say that someone is stiff-necked , you mean that they are proud and unwilling to do what other people want. [DISAPPROVAL ]
sti|fle /sta I f ə l/ (stifles , stifling , stifled )
1 VERB If someone stifles something you consider to be a good thing, they prevent it from continuing. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] Critics have accused the U.S. of trying to stifle debate.
2 VERB If you stifle a yawn or laugh, you prevent yourself from yawning or laughing. □ [V n] She makes no attempt to stifle a yawn.
3 VERB If you stifle your natural feelings or behaviour, you prevent yourself from having those feelings or behaving in that way. □ [V n] It is best to stifle curiosity and leave birds' nests alone.
sti|fling /sta I fəl I ŋ/
1 ADJ Stifling heat is so intense that it makes you feel uncomfortable. You can also use stifling to describe a place that is extremely hot. □ The stifling heat of the little room was beginning to make me nauseous.
2 ADJ If a situation is stifling , it makes you feel uncomfortable because you cannot do what you want. □ Life at home with her parents and two sisters was stifling. □ …a stifling bureaucracy.
3 → see also stifle
stig|ma /st I gmə/ (stigmas )
1 N‑VAR If something has a stigma attached to it, people think it is something to be ashamed of. □ There's no stigma attached to being an unmarried mother any more.
2 N‑COUNT The stigma of a flower is the top of the centre part which takes in pollen. [TECHNICAL ]
stig|ma|ta /st I gmɑː tə/ N‑PLURAL Stigmata are marks that appear on a person's body in the same places where Christ was wounded when he was nailed to the cross. Some Christians believe that these marks are a sign of holiness.
stig|ma|tize /st I gməta I z/ (stigmatizes , stigmatizing , stigmatized ) in BRIT, also use stigmatise VERB If someone or something is stigmatized , they are unfairly regarded by many people as being bad or having something to be ashamed of. □ [be V -ed] Children in single-parent families must not be stigmatised. □ [V n] People may feel stigmatized by any psychiatric diagnosis.
stile /sta I l/ (stiles ) N‑COUNT A stile is an entrance to a field or path consisting of a step on either side of a fence or wall to help people climb over it.
sti|let|to /st I le toʊ/ (stilettos ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Stilettos are women's shoes that have high, very narrow heels. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use spike heels
still
➊ ADVERB USES
➋ NOT MOVING OR MAKING A NOISE
➌ EQUIPMENT
➊ still ◆◆◆ /st I l/
1 ADV [ADV before v] If a situation that used to exist still exists, it has continued and exists now. □ I still dream of home. □ Brian's toe is still badly swollen and he cannot put on his shoe. □ If you don't like the job, why are you still there?
2 ADV [ADV before v] If something that has not yet happened could still happen, it is possible that it will happen. If something that has not yet happened is still to happen, it will happen at a later time. □ Big money could still be made if the crisis keeps oil prices high. □ The details have still to be worked out.
3 ADV If you say that there is still an amount of something left, you are emphasizing that there is that amount left. □ There are still some outstanding problems. □ There's still time to catch up with them.
4 ADV [ADV before v] You use still to emphasize that something remains the case or is true in spite of what you have just said. □ I'm average for my height. But I still feel I'm fatter than I should be. □ Despite the ruling, Boreham was still found guilty.
5 ADV You use still to indicate that a problem or difficulty is not really worth worrying about. □ 'Any idea who is going to be here this weekend?'—'No. Still, who cares?'
6 ADV You use still in expressions such as still further , still another , and still more to show that you find the number or quantity of things you are referring to surprising or excessive. [EMPHASIS ] □ We look forward to strengthening still further our already close co-operation.
7 ADV You use still with comparatives to indicate that something has even more of a quality than something else. [EMPHASIS ] □ Formula One motor car racing is supposed to be dangerous. 'Indycar' racing is supposed to be more dangerous still.
➋ still ◆◆◆ /st I l/ (stiller , stillest , stills )
1 ADJ [ADJ after v, v-link ADJ ] If you stay still , you stay in the same position and do not move. □ Suddenly he stood still and looked at Brad. □ He played the recording through once, then sat very still for several minutes. □ Gladys was still, then she shook her head slowly.
2 ADJ If air or water is still , it is not moving. □ The night air was very still. □ He watched the still water over the side of the boat.
3 ADJ Drinks that are still do not contain any bubbles of carbon dioxide. □ …a glass of still orange.
4 ADJ If a place is still , it is quiet and shows no sign of activity. □ In the room it was very still. ● still|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] Four deafening explosions shattered the stillness of the night air.
5 N‑COUNT A still is a photograph taken from a cinema film which is used for publicity purposes.
➌ still /st I l/ (stills ) N‑COUNT A still is a piece of equipment used to make strong alcoholic drinks by a process called distilling. SYNONYMS still ADJ ➋1
stationary: Stationary cars in traffic jams cause a great deal of pollution.
motionless: Her hands were motionless.
inert: He covered the inert body with a blanket.
static: Both your pictures are of static subjects.
still|birth /st I lbɜː r θ/ (stillbirths ) N‑VAR A stillbirth is the birth of a dead baby.
still|born /st I lbɔː r n/
1 ADJ A stillborn baby is dead when it is born. □ It was a miracle that she survived the birth of her stillborn baby.
2 ADJ An idea, action, or attempt which is stillborn is completely ineffective or unsuccessful. □ The ceasefire itself could prove stillborn if rebel units in the bush keep on fighting.
sti ll li fe (still lifes ) N‑VAR A still life is a painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects such as flowers or fruit. It also refers to this type of painting or drawing.
stilt /st I lt/ (stilts )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft on N ] Stilts are long upright pieces of wood or metal on which some buildings are built, especially where the ground is wet or very soft. □ They inhabit reed huts built on stilts above the water.
2 N‑COUNT Stilts are two long pieces of wood with pieces for the feet fixed high up on the sides so that people can stand on them and walk high above the ground.
stilt|ed /st I lt I d/ ADJ If someone speaks in a stilted way, they speak in a formal or unnatural way, for example because they are not relaxed. □ We made polite, stilted conversation.
stimu|lant /st I mjʊlənt/ (stimulants ) N‑COUNT A stimulant is a drug that makes your body work faster, often increasing your heart rate and making you less likely to sleep.
stimu|late ◆◇◇ /st I mjʊle I t/ (stimulates , stimulating , stimulated )
1 VERB To stimulate something means to encourage it to begin or develop further. □ [V n] America's priority is rightly to stimulate its economy. □ [V n] The Commonwealth Games have stimulated public interest in doing sport. ● stimu|la|tion /st I mjʊle I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ …an economy in need of stimulation.
2 VERB [usu passive] If you are stimulated by something, it makes you feel full of ideas and enthusiasm. □ [be V -ed] Bill was stimulated by the challenge. □ [be V -ed to-inf] I was stimulated to examine my deepest thoughts. ● stimu|lat|ing ADJ □ It is a complex yet stimulating book. □ The atmosphere was always stimulating. ● stimu|la|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] Many enjoy the mental stimulation of a challenging job.
3 VERB If something stimulates a part of a person's body, it causes it to move or start working. □ [V n] Exercise stimulates the digestive and excretory systems. □ [be V -ed to-inf] The body is stimulated to build up resistance. ● stimu|lat|ing ADJ □ …the stimulating effect of adrenaline. ● stimu|la|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ …physical stimulation. □ [+ of ] The stimulation of the nerves in the feet stimulates the whole central nervous system.
stimu|la|tive /st I mjʊlət I v/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If a government policy has a stimulative effect on the economy, it encourages the economy to grow. □ It is possible that a tax cut might have some stimulative effect.
stimu|lus /st I mjʊləs/ (stimuli /st I mjʊla I /) N‑VAR A stimulus is something that encourages activity in people or things. □ Interest rates could fall soon and be a stimulus to the U.S. economy.
sting /st I ŋ/ (stings , stinging , stung )
1 VERB If a plant, animal, or insect stings you, a sharp part of it, usually covered with poison, is pushed into your skin so that you feel a sharp pain. □ [V n] The nettles stung their legs. □ [V ] This type of bee rarely stings.
2 N‑COUNT The sting of an insect or animal is the part that stings you. □ Remove the bee sting with tweezers.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you feel a sting , you feel a sharp pain in your skin or other part of your body. □ This won't hurt–you will just feel a little sting.
4 VERB If a part of your body stings , or if a substance stings it, you feel a sharp pain there. □ [V ] His cheeks were stinging from the icy wind. □ [V n] Sprays can sting sensitive skin.
5 VERB [no cont] If someone's remarks sting you, they make you feel hurt and annoyed. □ [V n] He's a sensitive lad and some of the criticism has stung him.
sting|ray /st I ŋre I / (stingrays ) N‑COUNT A stingray is a type of large flat fish with a long tail which it can use as a weapon.
stin|gy /st I ndʒi/ (stingier , stingiest ) ADJ If you describe someone as stingy , you are criticizing them for being unwilling to spend money. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ Winston was not a stingy man.
stink /st I ŋk/ (stinks , stinking , stank , stunk )
1 VERB To stink means to smell extremely unpleasant. □ [V ] Get away from me–your breath stinks. □ [V + of ] The place stinks of fried onions. □ [V + like ] The pond stank like a sewer. ● N‑SING Stink is also a noun. □ [+ of ] I was met with the stink of smoke and burnt plastic. ● stink|ing ADJ □ They were locked up in a stinking cell.
2 VERB If you say that something stinks , you mean that you disapprove of it because it involves ideas, feelings, or practices that you do not like. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V ] I think their methods stink. □ [V + of ] The whole thing stinks of political corruption.
3 N‑SING If someone causes a stink about something they are angry about, they show their anger in order to make people take notice. [INFORMAL ] □ The tabloid press kicked up a stink about his seven-day visit.
stink|er /st I ŋkə r / (stinkers ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone or something as a stinker , you mean that you think they are very unpleasant or bad. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ I think he's an absolute stinker to do that to her.
stink|ing /st I ŋk I ŋ/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use stinking to describe something that is unpleasant or bad. [INFORMAL ] □ I had a stinking cold.
2 → see also stink
stinky /st I ŋki/ (stinkier , stinkiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] If something is stinky , it smells extremely unpleasant. □ …sweaty, stinky socks.
stint /st I nt/ (stints ) N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] A stint is a period of time which you spend doing a particular job or activity or working in a particular place. □ He is returning to this country after a five-year stint in Hong Kong.
sti|pend /sta I pend/ (stipends )
1 N‑COUNT A stipend is a sum of money that is paid regularly, especially to a magistrate or a member of the clergy, as a salary or for their living expenses. [mainly BRIT ]
2 N‑COUNT A stipend is a sum of money that is paid to a student for their living expenses. [mainly AM ]
sti|pen|di|ary /sta I pe ndiəri, [AM ] -dieri/ ADJ [ADJ n] A stipendiary magistrate or member of the clergy receives a stipend.
stip|pled /st I p ə ld/ ADJ A surface that is stippled is covered with tiny spots. □ The room remains simple with bare, stippled green walls.
stipu|late /st I pjʊle I t/ (stipulates , stipulating , stipulated ) VERB If you stipulate a condition or stipulate that something must be done, you say clearly that it must be done. □ [V that/wh] She could have stipulated that she would pay when she collected the computer. □ [V n] International rules stipulate the number of foreign entrants. ● stipu|la|tion /st I pjʊle I ʃ ə n/ (stipulations ) N‑COUNT □ Clifford's only stipulation is that his clients obey his advice.
stir ◆◇◇ /stɜː r / (stirs , stirring , stirred )
1 VERB If you stir a liquid or other substance, you move it around or mix it in a container using something such as a spoon. □ [V n] Stir the soup for a few seconds. □ [V n + into ] There was Mrs Bellingham, stirring sugar into her tea. □ [V n with in ] You don't add the peanut butter until after you've stirred in the honey.
2 VERB If you stir , you move slightly, for example because you are uncomfortable or beginning to wake up. [WRITTEN ] □ [V ] Eileen shook him, and he started to stir. □ [V ] The two women lay on their backs, not stirring.
3 VERB If you do not stir from a place, you do not move from it. [WRITTEN ] □ [V + from ] She had not stirred from the house that evening.
4 VERB If something stirs or if the wind stirs it, it moves gently in the wind. [WRITTEN ] □ [V ] Palm trees stir in the soft Pacific breeze. □ [V n] Not a breath of fresh air stirred the long white curtains.
5 VERB If a particular memory, feeling, or mood stirs or is stirred in you, you begin to think about it or feel it. [WRITTEN ] □ [V + in ] Then a memory stirs in you and you start feeling anxious. □ [V n + in ] Amy remembered the anger he had stirred in her. □ [V ] Deep inside the awareness was stirring that something was about to happen.
6 N‑SING If an event causes a stir , it causes great excitement, shock, or anger among people. □ His film has caused a stir in America.
7 → see also stirring
▸ stir up
1 PHRASAL VERB If something stirs up dust or stirs up mud in water, it causes it to rise up and move around. □ [V n P ] They saw first a cloud of dust and then the car that was stirring it up. [Also V P n (not pron)]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you stir up a particular mood or situation, usually a bad one, you cause it. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V P n] As usual, Harriet is trying to stir up trouble. □ [V n P ] I thought at first that Jay had been stirring things up. SYNONYMS stir VERB 1
mix: Mix the ingredients together slowly.
blend: Blend the ingredients until you have a smooth cream.
whisk: In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar and the yolks.
beat: Beat the eggs and sugar until they start to thicken. COLLOCATIONS stir VERB
1
stir + adverb : constantly, continuously, well; gently, occasionally
7
stir + noun : anger, controversy, emotion, unrest; imagination, memory, soul
sti r-fry (stir-fries , stir-frying , stir-fried )
1 VERB If you stir-fry vegetables, meat, or fish, you cook small pieces of them quickly by stirring them in a small quantity of very hot oil. This method is often used in Chinese cookery. □ [V n] Stir-fry the vegetables until crisp. □ [V -ed] …stir-fried vegetables.
2 N‑COUNT A stir-fry is a Chinese dish consisting of small pieces of vegetables, meat, or fish which have been stir-fried. □ Serve the stir-fry with 'instant' noodles.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] Stir-fry vegetables, meat, or fish or stir-fry dishes are cooked by the stir-fry method.
stir|rer /stɜː rə r / (stirrers ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a stirrer , you disapprove of them because they often try to cause trouble. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]
stir|ring /stɜː r I ŋ/ (stirrings )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A stirring event, performance, or account of something makes people very excited or enthusiastic. □ The Prime Minister made a stirring speech. □ Stowe gives a stirring performance as a strong spirited female.
2 N‑COUNT A stirring of a feeling or thought is the beginning of one. □ [+ of ] I feel a stirring of curiosity.
stir|rup /st I rəp, [AM ] stɜː r-/ (stirrups ) N‑COUNT Stirrups are the two metal loops which are attached to a horse's saddle by long pieces of leather. You place your feet in the stirrups when riding a horse.
stitch /st I tʃ/ (stitches , stitching , stitched )
1 VERB If you stitch cloth, you use a needle and thread to join two pieces together or to make a decoration. □ [V n adv/prep] Fold the fabric and stitch the two layers together. □ [V ] We stitched incessantly. □ [V n] …those patient ladies who stitched the magnificent medieval tapestries.
2 N‑COUNT Stitches are the short pieces of thread that have been sewn in a piece of cloth. □ …a row of straight stitches.
3 N‑COUNT In knitting and crochet, a stitch is a loop made by one turn of wool around a knitting needle or crochet hook. □ Her mother counted the stitches on her knitting needles.
4 N‑UNCOUNT [usu n N ] If you sew or knit something in a particular stitch , you sew or knit in a way that produces a particular pattern. □ The design can be worked in cross stitch.
5 VERB When doctors stitch a wound, they use a special needle and thread to sew the skin together. □ [V n] Jill washed and stitched the wound. ● PHRASAL VERB Stitch up means the same as stitch . □ [V P n] Dr Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. □ [V n P ] They've taken him off to hospital to stitch him up.
6 N‑COUNT A stitch is a piece of thread that has been used to sew the skin of a wound together. □ He had six stitches in a head wound.
7 N‑SING A stitch is a sharp pain in your side, usually caused by running or laughing a lot.
8 PHRASE If you are in stitches , you cannot stop laughing. [INFORMAL ] □ Here's a book that will have you in stitches.
▸ stitch up
1 PHRASAL VERB To stitch someone up means to trick them so that they are put in a difficult or unpleasant situation, especially one where they are blamed for something they have not done. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] He claimed that a police officer had threatened to stitch him up and send him to prison. [Also V P n]
2 PHRASAL VERB To stitch up an agreement, especially a complicated agreement between several people, means to arrange it. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] Shiraz has stitched up major deals all over the world to boost sales.
3 → see stitch 5
stitch|ing /st I tʃ I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Stitching is a row of stitches that have been sewn in a piece of cloth. □ The stitching had begun to fray at the edges.
sti tch-up (stitch-ups ) also stitch up N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a situation as a stitch-up , you mean that it has been arranged in a way that makes it unfair. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ My view is that this is a stitch up.
stoat /stoʊ t/ (stoats ) N‑COUNT A stoat is a small, thin, wild animal that has brown fur. Some stoats that live in northern Europe have fur that turns white in winter.
stock ◆◆◇ /stɒ k/ (stocks , stocking , stocked )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Stocks are shares in the ownership of a company, or investments on which a fixed amount of interest will be paid. [BUSINESS ] □ …the buying and selling of stocks and shares.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [usu poss N ] A company's stock is the amount of money which the company has through selling shares. [BUSINESS ] □ The stock was valued in the market at $460 million.
3 VERB [no cont] If a shop stocks particular goods, it keeps a supply of them to sell. □ [V n] The shop stocks everything from chocolate to recycled loo paper.
4 N‑UNCOUNT A shop's stock is the total amount of goods which it has available to sell. □ We took the decision to withdraw a quantity of stock from sale.
5 VERB If you stock something such as a cupboard, shelf, or room, you fill it with food or other things. □ [V n] I worked stocking shelves in a grocery store. □ [V n + with ] Some families stocked their cellars with food and water. □ [be V -ed] The kitchen cupboard was stocked with tins of soup. ● PHRASAL VERB Stock up means the same as stock . □ [V n P + with ] I had to stock the boat up with food. □ [V P n + with ] You can stock up the freezer with ice cream ready for the next sunny day [Also V n P ]
6 N‑COUNT If you have a stock of things, you have a supply of them stored in a place ready to be used. □ Stocks of ammunition were running low.
7 N‑SING The stock of something is the total amount of it that is available in a particular area. [mainly BRIT ] □ …the stock of accommodation available to be rented.
8 N‑UNCOUNT If you are from a particular stock , you are descended from a particular group of people. [FORMAL ] □ We are both from working class stock.
9 N‑PLURAL Stock are cattle, sheep, pigs, or other animals which are kept by a farmer, usually ones which have been specially bred. □ I am carefully selecting the breeding stock.
10 ADJ [ADJ n] A stock answer, expression, or way of doing something is one that is very commonly used, especially because people cannot be bothered to think of something new. □ My boss had a stock response–'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'.
11 N‑VAR Stock is a liquid, usually made by boiling meat, bones, or vegetables in water, that is used to give flavour to soups and sauces.
12 → see also stocking , laughing stock , rolling stock
13 PHRASE If goods are in stock , a shop has them available to sell. If they are out of stock , it does not. □ Check that your size is in stock. □ Lemon and lime juice were both temporarily out of stock.
14 PHRASE If you take stock , you pause to think about all the aspects of a situation or event before deciding what to do next. □ It was time to take stock of the situation.
15 lock, stock, and barrel → see barrel
▸ stock up
1 → see stock 5
2 PHRASAL VERB If you stock up on something, you buy a lot of it, in case you cannot get it later. □ [V P + on/with ] The authorities have urged people to stock up on fuel.
stock|ade /stɒke I d/ (stockades ) N‑COUNT A stockade is a wall of large wooden posts built around an area to keep out enemies or wild animals. □ …the inner stockade.
stock|broker /stɒ kbroʊkə r / (stockbrokers ) N‑COUNT A stockbroker is a person whose job is to buy and sell stocks and shares for people who want to invest money. [BUSINESS ]
sto ck|broker belt (stockbroker belts ) N‑COUNT The stockbroker belt is an area outside a city, especially London, where rich people who travel to work in the city live. [BRIT ] □ He grew up in the comfort of the Surrey stockbroker belt.
stock|broking /stɒ kbroʊk I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Stockbroking is the professional activity of buying and selling stocks and shares for clients. [BUSINESS ] □ His stockbroking firm was hit by the 1987 crash.
sto ck car (stock cars ) N‑COUNT A stock car is an old car which has had changes made to it so that it is suitable for races in which the cars often crash into each other. □ He acted as grand marshal of a stock car race.
sto ck con|trol N‑UNCOUNT Stock control is the activity of making sure that a company always has exactly the right amount of goods available to sell. [BUSINESS ]
sto ck cube (stock cubes ) N‑COUNT A stock cube is a solid cube made from dried meat or vegetable juices and other flavourings. Stock cubes are used to add flavour to dishes such as stews and soups.
sto ck ex|change ◆◇◇ (stock exchanges ) N‑COUNT A stock exchange is a place where people buy and sell stocks and shares. The stock exchange is also the trading activity that goes on there and the trading organization itself. [BUSINESS ] □ The shortage of good stock has kept some investors away from the stock exchange. □ …the New York Stock Exchange.
stock|holder /stɒ khoʊldə r / (stockholders ) N‑COUNT A stockholder is a person who owns shares in a company. [AM , BUSINESS ] in BRIT, use shareholder
stock|ing /stɒ k I ŋ/ (stockings )
1 N‑COUNT Stockings are items of women's clothing which fit closely over their feet and legs. Stockings are usually made of nylon or silk and are held in place by suspenders. □ …a pair of nylon stockings.
2 N‑COUNT A stocking is the same as a Christmas stocking .
3 → see also stock , body stocking
stock|inged /stɒ k I ŋd/ ADJ [ADJ n] If someone is in their stockinged feet, they are wearing socks, tights, or stockings, but no shoes. [LITERARY ] □ He tip-toed to the door in his stockinged feet.
sto ck|ing fill|er (stocking fillers ) also stocking-filler N‑COUNT A stocking filler is a small present that is suitable for putting in a Christmas stocking. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use stocking stuffer
sto ck|ing stuff|er (stocking stuffers ) N‑COUNT A stocking stuffer is the same as a stocking filler . [mainly AM ]
sto ck-in-tra de also stock in trade N‑SING [with poss] If you say that something is someone's stock-in-trade , you mean that it is a usual part of their behaviour or work. □ Patriotism is every politician's stock-in-trade.
stock|ist /stɒ k I st/ (stockists ) N‑COUNT A stockist of a particular product is someone who sells this product in their shop. [BRIT ] □ The name of your nearest stockist is available from the company.
sto ck mar|ket ◆◇◇ (stock markets ) N‑COUNT The stock market consists of the general activity of buying stocks and shares, and the people and institutions that organize it. [BUSINESS ] □ The company's shares promptly fell by 300 lire on the stock market.
sto ck op|tion (stock options ) N‑COUNT A stock option is an opportunity for the employees of a company to buy shares at a special price. [AM , BUSINESS ] □ He made a huge profit from shares purchased under the company's stock option program. in BRIT use share option
stock|pile /stɒ kpa I l/ (stockpiles , stockpiling , stockpiled )
1 VERB If people stockpile things such as food or weapons, they store large quantities of them for future use. □ [V n] People are stockpiling food for the coming winter.
2 N‑COUNT A stockpile of things is a large quantity of them that have been stored for future use. □ [+ of ] The two leaders also approved treaties to cut stockpiles of chemical weapons.
stock|room /stɒ kruːm/ (stockrooms ) also stock-room N‑COUNT A stockroom is a room, especially in a shop or a factory, where a stock of goods is kept.
sto ck-sti ll ADJ [ADJ after v] If someone stands or sits stock-still , they do not move at all. □ The lieutenant stopped and stood stock-still.
stock|taking /stɒ kte I k I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Stocktaking is the activity of counting and checking all the goods that a shop or business has. [BUSINESS ]
stocky /stɒ ki/ (stockier , stockiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] A stocky person has a body that is broad, solid, and often short.
stodgy /stɒ dʒi/ (stodgier , stodgiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] Stodgy food is very solid and heavy. It makes you feel very full, and is difficult to digest. □ He was disgusted with the stodgy pizzas on sale in London.
sto|gie /stoʊ gi/ (stogies ) N‑COUNT A stogie is a long thin cigar. [AM ]
sto|ic /stoʊ I k/ (stoics )
1 ADJ Stoic means the same as stoical . [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ They tried to be as stoic as their parents in this tragic situation.
2 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a stoic , you approve of them because they do not complain or show they are upset in bad situations. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ]
stoi|cal /stoʊ I k ə l/ ADJ If you say that someone behaves in a stoical way, you approve of them because they do not complain or show they are upset in bad situations. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ He never made excuses, maintaining a stoical silence. ● stoi|cal|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ She put up with it all stoically.
stoi|cism /stoʊ I s I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Stoicism is stoical behaviour. [FORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ They bore their plight with stoicism and fortitude.
stoke /stoʊ k/ (stokes , stoking , stoked )
1 VERB If you stoke a fire, you add coal or wood to it to keep it burning. □ [V n] She was stoking the stove with sticks of maple. ● PHRASAL VERB Stoke up means the same as stoke . □ [V P n] He stoked up the fire in the hearth.
2 VERB If you stoke something such as a feeling, you cause it to be felt more strongly. □ [V n] These demands are helping to stoke fears of civil war. ● PHRASAL VERB Stoke up means the same as stoke . □ [V P n] He has sent his proposals in the hope of stoking up interest for the idea.
stok|er /stoʊ kə r / (stokers ) N‑COUNT In former times a stoker was a person whose job was to stoke fires, especially on a ship or a steam train.
stole /stoʊ l/ (stoles ) Stole is the past tense of steal .
sto|len /stoʊ l ə n/ Stolen is the past participle of steal .
stol|id /stɒ l I d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as stolid , you mean that they do not show much emotion or are not very exciting or interesting. □ He glanced furtively at the stolid faces of the two detectives.
stom|ach ◆◇◇ /stʌ mək/ (stomachs , stomaching , stomached )
1 N‑COUNT Your stomach is the organ inside your body where food is digested before it moves into the intestines. □ He had an upset stomach. □ My stomach is completely full.
2 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] You can refer to the front part of your body below your waist as your stomach . □ The children lay down on their stomachs. □ …stomach muscles.
3 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] If the front part of your body below your waist feels uncomfortable because you are feeling worried or frightened, you can refer to it as your stomach . □ His stomach was in knots.
4 N‑COUNT If you say that someone has a strong stomach , you mean that they are not disgusted by things that disgust most other people. □ Surgery often demands actual physical strength, as well as the possession of a strong stomach.
5 VERB If you cannot stomach something, you cannot accept it because you dislike it or disapprove of it. □ [V n/v-ing] I could never stomach the cruelty involved in the wounding of animals.
6 PHRASE If you do something on an empty stomach , you do it without having eaten. □ Avoid drinking on an empty stomach.
7 PHRASE If you say that something turns your stomach or makes your stomach turn , you mean that it is so unpleasant or offensive that it makes you feel sick. □ The true facts will turn your stomach.
8 butterflies in your stomach → see butterfly COLLOCATIONS stomach NOUN
1
adjective + stomach : bloated, distended; empty; queasy, upset; cast-iron
stomach + verb : growl, rumble
verb + stomach : upset
2
adjective + stomach : flat; six-pack, washboard; bloated, distended, swollen
3
stomach + verb : churn, flip, lurch
sto m|ach ache (stomach aches ) also stomachache N‑VAR If you have a stomach-ache , you have a pain in your stomach.
sto mach-churning ADJ If you describe something as stomach-churning , you mean that it is so unpleasant that it makes you feel physically sick. □ The stench from rotting food is stomach-churning.
sto |mach sta |pling N‑UNCOUNT Stomach stapling is an operation in which part of the stomach is removed in order to help a person to eat less and lose weight. [MEDICAL ] □ The most popular method of surgical weight loss is the stomach stapling operation.
stomp /stɒ mp/ (stomps , stomping , stomped ) VERB If you stomp somewhere, you walk there with very heavy steps, often because you are angry. □ [V prep/adv] He stomped out of the room.
stone ◆◆◇ /stoʊ n/ (stones , stoning , stoned ) The plural is usually stone in meaning 10 . 1 N‑VAR Stone is a hard solid substance found in the ground and often used for building houses. □ He could not tell whether the floor was wood or stone. □ …stone walls.
2 N‑COUNT A stone is a small piece of rock that is found on the ground. □ He removed a stone from his shoe.
3 N‑COUNT A stone is a large piece of stone put somewhere in memory of a person or event, or as a religious symbol. □ The monument consists of a circle of gigantic stones.
4 N‑UNCOUNT Stone is used in expressions such as set in stone and tablets of stone to suggest that an idea or rule is firm and fixed, and cannot be changed. □ Scientific opinions are not carved on tablets of stone; they change over the years.
5 N‑COUNT You can refer to a jewel as a stone . □ …a diamond ring with three stones.
6 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A stone is a small hard ball of minerals and other substances which sometimes forms in a person's kidneys or gall bladder. □ He had kidney stones.
7 N‑COUNT The stone in a plum, cherry, or other fruit is the large hard seed in the middle of it. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use pit 8 VERB If you stone a fruit, you remove its stone. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V n] Then stone the fruit and process the plums to a puree. in AM, usually use pit 9 VERB If people stone someone or something, they throw stones at them. □ [be V -ed] A post office was set on fire and vehicles were stoned by looters.
10 N‑COUNT A stone is a measurement of weight, especially the weight of a person, equal to 14 pounds or 6.35 kilograms. [BRIT ] □ I weighed around 16 stone.
11 → see also stoned , foundation stone , paving stone , precious stone , stepping stone
12 PHRASE If you say that one place is a stone's throw from another, you mean that the places are close to each other. □ …a two-bedroom apartment just a stone's throw from the beach. □ Just a stone's throw away is the City Art Gallery.
13 PHRASE If you say that you will leave no stone unturned , you are emphasizing that you will try every way you can think of in order to achieve what you want. [EMPHASIS ] □ He said he would leave no stone unturned in the search for peace.
14 to kill two birds with one stone → see bird
Sto ne Age N‑PROPER The Stone Age is a very early period of human history, when people used tools and weapons made of stone, not metal.
sto ne-co ld
1 ADJ If something that should be warm is stone-cold , it is very cold. □ Hillsden took a sip of tea, but it was stone cold.
2 PHRASE If someone is stone-cold sober , they are not drunk at all. [INFORMAL ]
stoned /stoʊ nd/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If someone is stoned , their mind is greatly affected by a drug such as cannabis. [INFORMAL ]
sto ne-dea d PHRASE If you kill something such as an idea or emotion stone-dead , you completely destroy it. [EMPHASIS ] □ Any idea of saving money had been killed stone dead.
sto ne dea f also stone-deaf ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Someone who is stone deaf cannot hear at all.
sto ne-ground also stoneground ADJ [usu ADJ n] Stone-ground flour or bread is made from grain that has been crushed between two large, heavy pieces of stone.
stone|mason /stoʊ nme I s ə n/ (stonemasons ) N‑COUNT A stonemason is a person who is skilled at cutting and preparing stone so that it can be used for walls and buildings.
stone|wall /stoʊ nwɔː l, [AM ] -wɔːl/ (stonewalls , stonewalling , stonewalled ) VERB If you say that someone stonewalls , you disapprove of them because they delay giving a clear answer or making a clear decision, often because there is something that they want to hide or avoid doing. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V ] The administration is just stonewalling in an attempt to hide their political embarrassment. [Also V on n] ● stone|wall|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ After 18 days of stonewalling, he at last came out and faced the issue.
stone|ware /stoʊ nweə r / N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Stoneware is hard clay pottery which is baked at a high temperature. □ …hand-painted blue-and-white stoneware.
sto ne-washed also stonewashed ADJ Stone-washed jeans are jeans which have been specially washed with small pieces of stone so that when you buy them they are fairly pale and soft.
stone|work /stoʊ nwɜː r k/ N‑UNCOUNT Stonework consists of objects or parts of a building that are made of stone. □ …the crumbling stonework of the derelict church.
stony /stoʊ ni/ (stonier , stoniest )
1 ADJ Stony ground is rough and contains a lot of stones. □ The steep, stony ground is well drained. □ …a stony track.
2 ADJ A stony expression or attitude does not show any sympathy or friendliness. □ He drove us home in stony silence.
stood /stʊ d/ Stood is the past tense and past participle of stand .
stooge /stuː dʒ/ (stooges ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a stooge , you are criticizing them because they are used by someone else to do unpleasant or dishonest tasks. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He has vehemently rejected claims that he is a government stooge.
stool /stuː l/ (stools )
1 N‑COUNT A stool is a seat with legs but no support for your arms or back. □ O'Brien sat on a bar stool and leaned his elbows on the counter.
2 PHRASE If someone has fallen between two stools , they are unable to decide which of two courses of action to take and as a result they have not done either of them successfully.
3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Stools are the pieces of solid waste matter that are passed out of a person's body through their bowels. [mainly MEDICAL ]
stoop /stuː p/ (stoops , stooping , stooped )
1 VERB If you stoop , you stand or walk with your shoulders bent forwards. □ [V ] She was taller than he was and stooped slightly. ● N‑SING Stoop is also a noun. □ He was a tall, thin fellow with a slight stoop. ● stoop|ing ADJ [usu ADJ n] □ …a slender slightly stooping American.
2 VERB If you stoop , you bend your body forwards and downwards. □ [V ] He stooped to pick up the carrier bag of groceries. □ [V + over ] Two men in shirt sleeves stooped over the car. □ [V down/over ] Stooping down, he picked up a big stone and hurled it.
3 VERB If you say that a person stoops to doing something, you are criticizing them because they do something wrong or immoral that they would not normally do. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + to ] He had not, until recently, stooped to personal abuse. □ [V adj] How could anyone stoop so low?
4 N‑COUNT A stoop is a small platform at the door of a building, with steps leading up to it. [AM ] □ They stood together on the stoop and rang the bell.
stop ◆◆◆ /stɒ p/ (stops , stopping , stopped )
1 VERB If you have been doing something and then you stop doing it, you no longer do it. □ [V v-ing] He can't stop thinking about it. □ [V v-ing] I've been told to lose weight and stop smoking. □ [V v-ing] I stopped working last year to have a baby. □ [V n] Does either of the parties want to stop the fighting? □ [V ] She stopped in mid-sentence.
2 VERB If you stop something happening, you prevent it from happening or prevent it from continuing. □ [V n] He proposed a new diplomatic initiative to try to stop the war. □ [be V -ed] If the fire isn't stopped, it could spread to 25,000 acres. □ [V n v-ing] I think she really would have liked to stop us seeing each other. □ [V n + from ] Motherhood won't stop me from pursuing my acting career.
3 VERB If an activity or process stops , it is no longer happening. □ [V ] The rain had stopped and a star or two was visible over the mountains. □ [V ] The system overheated and filming had to stop.
4 VERB If something such as machine stops or is stopped , it is no longer moving or working. □ [V ] The clock had stopped at 2.12 a.m. □ [V n] Arnold stopped the engine and got out of the car.
5 VERB When a moving person or vehicle stops or is stopped , they no longer move and they remain in the same place. □ [V ] The car failed to stop at an army checkpoint. □ [V ] He stopped and let her catch up with him. □ [V n] The event literally stopped the traffic.
6 N‑SING If something that is moving comes to a stop or is brought to a stop , it slows down and no longer moves. □ People often wrongly open doors before the train has come to a stop. □ He slowed the car almost to a stop.
7 VERB If someone does not stop to think or to explain, they continue with what they are doing without taking any time to think about or explain it. □ [V to-inf] She doesn't stop to think about what she's saying. □ [V to-inf] There is something rather strange about all this if one stops to consider it. □ [V ] People who lead busy lives have no time to stop and reflect.
8 VERB If you say that a quality or state stops somewhere, you mean that it exists or is true up to that point, but no further. □ [V adv] The cafe owner has put up 'no smoking' signs, but thinks his responsibility stops there.
9 N‑COUNT A stop is a place where buses or trains regularly stop so that people can get on and off. □ They waited at a bus stop.
10 VERB If you stop somewhere on a journey, you stay there for a short while. □ [V prep/adv] He insisted we stop at a small restaurant just outside of Atlanta.
11 N‑COUNT A stop is a time or place at which you stop during a journey. □ The last stop in Mr Cook's lengthy tour was Paris.
12 N‑COUNT [usu pl] In music, organ stops are the knobs at the side of the organ, which you pull or push in order to control the type of sound that comes out of the pipes.
13 PHRASE If you say that someone will stop at nothing to get something, you are emphasizing that they are willing to do things that are extreme, wrong, or dangerous in order to get it. [EMPHASIS ] □ Their motive is money, and they will stop at nothing to get it.
14 PHRASE If you pull out all the stops , you do everything you can to make something happen or succeed. □ New Zealand police vowed yesterday to pull out all the stops to find the killer.
15 PHRASE If you put a stop to something that you do not like or approve of, you prevent it from happening or continuing. □ His daughter should have stood up and put a stop to all these rumours.
16 PHRASE If you say that someone does not know when to stop , you mean that they do not control their own behaviour very well and so they often annoy or upset other people. □ Like many politicians before him, Mr Bentley did not know when to stop.
17 to stop dead → see dead
18 to stop short of → see short ➊
19 to stop someone in their tracks → see track
▸ stop by PHRASAL VERB If you stop by somewhere, you make a short visit to a person or place. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] Perhaps I'll stop by the hospital. □ [V P ] I'll stop by to see Leigh before going home.
▸ stop off PHRASAL VERB If you stop off somewhere, you stop for a short time in the middle of a journey. □ [V P ] She stopped off in Poland on her way to Munich.
stop|cock /stɒ pkɒk/ (stopcocks ) N‑COUNT A stopcock is a tap on a pipe, which you turn in order to allow something to pass through the pipe or to stop it from passing through.
stop|gap /stɒ pgæp/ (stopgaps ) N‑COUNT A stopgap is something that serves a purpose for a short time, but is replaced as soon as possible. □ Gone are the days when work was just a stopgap between leaving school and getting married.
sto p-go in AM, also use stop-and-go ADJ [usu ADJ n] Stop-go is used to describe processes in which there are periods of inactivity between periods of activity. □ …stop-go economic cycles.
stop|light /stɒ pla I t/ (stoplights ) also stop light
1 N‑COUNT A stoplight is a set of coloured lights which controls the flow of traffic on a road. [AM ] in BRIT, use traffic light 2 N‑COUNT The stoplights on a car or other vehicle are the two red lights at the back. [AM ] in BRIT, use tail-lights
stop|over /stɒ poʊvə r / (stopovers ) N‑COUNT A stopover is a short stay in a place in between parts of a journey. □ The Sunday flights will make a stopover in Paris.
stop|page /stɒ p I dʒ/ (stoppages )
1 N‑COUNT When there is a stoppage , people stop working because of a disagreement with their employers. [BUSINESS ] □ Mineworkers in the Ukraine have voted for a one-day stoppage next month.
2 N‑COUNT In football and some other sports, when there is a stoppage , the game stops for a short time, for example because a player is injured. The referee may add some extra time at the end of the game because of this. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use time out
stop|per /stɒ pə r / (stoppers )
1 N‑COUNT A stopper is a piece of glass, plastic, or cork that fits into the top of a bottle or jar to close it. □ …a bottle of colourless liquid sealed with a cork stopper.
2 → see also showstopper
sto p pre ss Stop press is sometimes printed next to an article in a newspaper to indicate that this is very recent news and was added after the rest of the newspaper had been printed. [BRIT ] □ STOP PRESS: The Government has called a snap election.
stop|watch /stɒ pwɒtʃ/ (stopwatches ) also stop-watch N‑COUNT A stopwatch is a watch with buttons which you press at the beginning and end of an event, so that you can measure exactly how long it takes.
stor|age /stɔː r I dʒ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to the storage of something, you mean that it is kept in a special place until it is needed. □ [+ of ] …the storage of toxic waste. □ Some of the space will at first be used for storage. □ The collection has been in storage for decades.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Storage is the process of storing data in a computer. □ [+ of ] His task is to ensure the fair use and storage of personal information held on computer.
3 → see also cold storage
store ◆◆◇ /stɔː r / (stores , storing , stored )
1 N‑COUNT A store is a building or part of a building where things are sold. In British English, store is used mainly to refer to a large shop selling a variety of goods, but in American English a store can be any size of shop. □ …grocery stores. □ …a record store.
2 VERB When you store things, you put them in a container or other place and leave them there until they are needed. □ [V n prep/adv] Store the cookies in an airtight tin. □ [be V -ed prep/adv] Some types of garden furniture must be stored inside in the winter. [Also V n] ● PHRASAL VERB Store away means the same as store . □ [V n P ] I took a photograph of the plaque and stored it away. □ [V P n] He's stored away nearly one ton of potatoes.
3 VERB When you store information, you keep it in your memory, in a file, or in a computer. □ [V n] Where in the brain do we store information about colours? □ [V n] …chips for storing data in electronic equipment.
4 N‑COUNT A store of things is a supply of them that you keep somewhere until you need them. □ [+ of ] I handed over my secret store of chocolate biscuits.
5 N‑COUNT A store is a place where things are kept while they are not being used. □ [+ for ] …a decision taken in 1982 to build a store for spent fuel from submarines. □ …a grain store.
6 N‑COUNT If you have a store of knowledge, jokes, or stories, you have a large amount of them ready to be used. □ [+ of ] He possessed a vast store of knowledge.
7 → see also chain store , cold store , department store
8 PHRASE If something is in store for you, it is going to happen at some time in the future. □ There were also surprises in store for me. □ Who knows what lies in store for the President?
9 PHRASE If you set great store by something, you think that it is extremely important or necessary. [FORMAL ] □ …a retail group which sets great store by traditional values.
▸ store away → see store 2
▸ store up PHRASAL VERB If you store something up , you keep it until you think that the time is right to use it. □ [V P n] Investors were storing up a lot of cash in anticipation of disaster. [Also V n P ]
store|card /stɔː r kɑː r d/ (storecards ) also store card N‑COUNT A storecard is a plastic card that you use to buy goods on credit from a particular store or group of stores. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use charge card
sto re de|te c|tive (store detectives ) N‑COUNT A store detective is someone who is employed by a shop to walk around the shop looking for people who are secretly stealing goods.
store|front /stɔː r frʌnt/ (storefronts )
1 N‑COUNT A storefront is the outside part of a shop which faces the street, including the door and windows. [mainly AM ] in BRIT, usually use shop front 2 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A storefront is a small shop or office that opens onto the street and is part of a row of shops or offices. [AM ] □ …a tiny storefront office on the main street.
store|house /stɔː r haʊs/ (storehouses ) N‑COUNT A storehouse is a building in which things, usually food, are stored.
store|keeper /stɔː r kiːpə r / (storekeepers ) N‑COUNT A storekeeper is a shopkeeper. [mainly AM ]
store|room /stɔː ruːm/ (storerooms ) N‑COUNT A storeroom is a room in which you keep things until they are needed. □ …a storeroom filled with massive old furniture covered with dust.
sto|rey /stɔː ri/ (storeys ) in AM, use story N‑COUNT A storey of a building is one of its different levels, which is situated above or below other levels. □ …the upper storeys of the Empire State Building.
-storey /-stɔː ri/ in AM, use -story 1 COMB -storey is used after numbers to form adjectives that indicate that a building has a particular number of floors or levels. □ …a modern three-storey building.
2 → see also multi-storey
-storeyed /-stɔː rid/ in AM, use -storied COMB -storeyed means the same as -storey . □ The streets were lined with two-storeyed houses.
stork /stɔː r k/ (storks ) N‑COUNT A stork is a large bird with a long beak and long legs, which lives near water.
storm ◆◇◇ /stɔː r m/ (storms , storming , stormed )
1 N‑COUNT A storm is very bad weather, with heavy rain, strong winds, and often thunder and lightning. □ …the violent storms which whipped America's East Coast.
2 N‑COUNT If something causes a storm , it causes an angry or excited reaction from a large number of people. □ The photos caused a storm when they were first published. □ [+ of ] …the storm of publicity that Richard's book had generated.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A storm of applause or other noise is a sudden loud amount of it made by an audience or other group of people in reaction to something. □ [+ of ] His speech was greeted with a storm of applause.
4 VERB If you storm into or out of a place, you enter or leave it quickly and noisily, because you are angry. □ [V adv/prep] He stormed into an office, demanding to know where the head of department was.
5 VERB If a place that is being defended is stormed , a group of people attack it, usually in order to get inside it. □ [be V -ed] Government buildings have been stormed and looted. □ [V n] The refugees decided to storm the embassy. ● storm|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the storming of the Bastille.
6 → see also firestorm
7 PHRASE If someone or something takes a place by storm , they are extremely successful. □ Kenya's long distance runners have taken the athletics world by storm.
8 PHRASE If someone weathers the storm , they succeed in reaching the end of a very difficult period without much harm or damage. □ He insists he will not resign and will weather the storm.
9 a storm in a teacup → see teacup
sto rm cloud (storm clouds ) also stormcloud
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Storm clouds are the dark clouds which are seen before a storm.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] You can use storm clouds to refer to a sign that something very unpleasant is going to happen. [FORMAL ] □ Over the past three weeks, the storm clouds have gathered again over the government.
sto rm troop|er (storm troopers ) also stormtrooper N‑COUNT Storm troopers were members of a private Nazi army who were well-known for being violent.
stormy /stɔː r mi/ (stormier , stormiest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If there is stormy weather, there are strong winds and heavy rain. □ It had been a night of stormy weather, with torrential rain and high winds.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Stormy seas have very large strong waves because there are strong winds. □ They make the treacherous journey across stormy seas.
3 ADJ If you describe a situation as stormy , you mean it involves a lot of angry argument or criticism. □ The letter was read at a stormy meeting.
sto|ry ◆◆◆ /stɔː ri/ (stories )
1 N‑COUNT A story is a description of imaginary people and events, which is written or told in order to entertain. □ I shall tell you a story about four little rabbits. □ …a popular love story with a happy ending.
2 N‑COUNT A story is a description of an event or something that happened to someone, especially a spoken description of it. □ The parents all shared interesting stories about their children. □ Isak's story is typical of a child who has a specific learning disability.
3 N‑COUNT The story of something is a description of all the important things that have happened to it since it began. □ [+ of ] …the story of the women's movement in Ireland.
4 N‑COUNT If someone invents a story , they give a false explanation or account of something. □ He invented some story about a cousin.
5 N‑COUNT A news story is a piece of news in a newspaper or in a news broadcast. □ Those are some of the top stories in the news. □ They'll do anything for a story. □ …front-page news stories.
6 → see storey , -storey
7 → see also cock-and-bull story , short story , sob story , success story , tall story
8 PHRASE In British English, you use to cut a long story short to indicate that you are going to state the final result of an event and not give any more details. In American English, you say to make a long story short . □ To cut a long story short, I ended up as managing director.
9 PHRASE You use a different story to refer to a situation, usually a bad one, which exists in one set of circumstances when you have mentioned that it does not exist in another set of circumstances. □ Where Marcella lives, rents are cheap, but further north it's a different story.
10 PHRASE If you say it's the same old story or it's the old story , you mean that something unpleasant or undesirable seems to happen again and again. □ It's the same old story. They want one person to do three people's jobs.
11 PHRASE If you say that something is only part of the story or is not the whole story , you mean that the explanation or information given is not enough for a situation to be fully understood. □ This may be true but it is only part of the story. □ Jane goes to great lengths to explain that this is not the whole story.
12 PHRASE If someone tells you their side of the story , they tell you why they behaved in a particular way and why they think they were right, when other people think that person behaved wrongly. □ He had already made up his mind before even hearing her side of the story.
story|board /stɔː ribɔː r d/ (storyboards ) N‑COUNT A storyboard is a set of pictures which show what will happen in something such as a film or advertisement that is being planned.
story|book /stɔː ribʊk/ (storybooks ) N‑COUNT A storybook is a book of stories for children.
story|line /stɔː rila I n/ (storylines ) N‑COUNT The storyline of a book, film, or play is its story and the way in which it develops. □ The surprise twists in the storyline are the film's greatest strength.
story|teller /stɔː ritelə r / (storytellers ) also story-teller N‑COUNT A storyteller is someone who tells or writes stories. □ He was the one who first set down the stories of the Celtic storytellers.
story|telling /stɔː ritel I ŋ/ also story-telling N‑UNCOUNT Storytelling is the activity of telling or writing stories. □ The programme is 90 minutes of dynamic Indian folk dance, live music and storytelling.
stout /staʊ t/ (stouter , stoutest )
1 ADJ A stout person is rather fat. □ He was a tall, stout man with gray hair.
2 ADJ Stout shoes, branches, or other objects are thick and strong. □ I hope you've both got stout shoes. □ …a stout oak door.
3 ADJ If you use stout to describe someone's actions, attitudes, or beliefs, you approve of them because they are strong and determined. [APPROVAL ] □ He produced a stout defence of the car business. ● stout|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ She stoutly defended her boss during the trial. □ …stoutly anti-imperialist nations.
stove /stoʊ v/ (stoves ) N‑COUNT A stove is a piece of equipment which provides heat, either for cooking or for heating a room. □ She put the kettle on the gas stove.
stow /stoʊ / (stows , stowing , stowed ) VERB If you stow something somewhere, you carefully put it there until it is needed. □ [V n prep/adv] I helped her stow her bags in the boot of the car. [Also V n]
▸ stow away PHRASAL VERB If someone stows away , they hide in a ship, aeroplane, or other vehicle in order to make a journey secretly or without paying. □ [V P ] He stowed away on a ferry and landed in North Shields.
stow|age /stoʊ I dʒ/ N‑UNCOUNT Stowage is the space that is available for stowing things on a ship or aeroplane. □ Stowage is provided in lined lockers beneath the berths.
stow|away /stoʊ əwe I / (stowaways ) N‑COUNT A stowaway is a person who hides in a ship, aeroplane, or other vehicle in order to make a journey secretly or without paying. □ The crew discovered the stowaway about two days into their voyage.
strad|dle /stræ d ə l/ (straddles , straddling , straddled )
1 VERB If you straddle something, you put or have one leg on either side of it. □ [V n] He sat down, straddling the chair.
2 VERB If something straddles a river, road, border, or other place, it stretches across it or exists on both sides of it. □ [V n] A small wooden bridge straddled the dike. □ [V n] Salcey Forest straddles the Buckingham-Northamptonshire border.
3 VERB Someone or something that straddles different periods, groups, or fields of activity exists in, belongs to, or takes elements from them all. □ [V n] She's a writer who straddles two genres - she writes online games as well as literary novels.
strafe /stre I f/ (strafes , strafing , strafed ) VERB To strafe an enemy means to attack them with a lot of bombs or bullets from a low-flying aircraft. □ [V n] It seemed that the plane was going to swoop down and strafe the town, so we dived for cover.
strag|gle /stræ g ə l/ (straggles , straggling , straggled )
1 VERB If people straggle somewhere, they move there slowly, in small groups with large, irregular gaps between them. □ [V prep/adv] They came straggling up the cliff road.
2 VERB If a small quantity of things straggle over an area, they cover it in an uneven or untidy way. □ [V prep] Her grey hair straggled in wisps about her face. □ [V -ing] They were beyond the last straggling suburbs now.
strag|gler /stræ gələ r / (stragglers ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] The stragglers are the people in a group who are moving more slowly or making less progress than the others. □ There were two stragglers twenty yards back.
strag|gly /stræ gəli/ ADJ Straggly hair or a straggly plant is thin and grows or spreads out untidily in different directions. □ Her long fair hair was knotted and straggly.
straight ◆◆◇ /stre I t/ (straighter , straightest , straights )
1 ADJ A straight line or edge continues in the same direction and does not bend or curve. □ Keep the boat in a straight line. □ Using the straight edge as a guide, trim the cloth to size. □ There wasn't a single straight wall in the building. ● ADV [ADV after v] Straight is also an adverb. □ Stand straight and stretch the left hand to the right foot.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Straight hair has no curls or waves in it. □ Grace had long straight dark hair which she wore in a bun.
3 ADV You use straight to indicate that the way from one place to another is very direct, with no changes of direction. □ The ball fell straight to the feet of the striker. □ He finished his conversation and stood up, looking straight at me. □ Straight ahead were the low cabins of the motel.
4 ADV If you go straight to a place, you go there immediately. □ As always, we went straight to the experts for advice.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] If you give someone a straight answer, you answer them clearly and honestly. □ What a shifty arguer he is, refusing ever to give a straight answer. ● ADV [ADV after v] Straight is also an adverb. □ I lost my temper and told him straight that I hadn't been looking for any job.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] Straight means following one after the other, with no gaps or intervals. □ They'd won 12 straight games before they lost. ● ADV [n ADV ] Straight is also an adverb. □ He called from Weddington, having been there for 31 hours straight.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] A straight choice or a straight fight involves only two people or things. □ It's a straight choice between low-paid jobs and no jobs.
8 ADJ If you describe someone as straight , you mean that they are normal and conventional, for example in their opinions and in the way they live. □ Dorothy was described as a very straight woman, a very strict Christian who was married to her job.
9 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you describe someone as straight , you mean that they are heterosexual rather than homosexual. [INFORMAL ] □ His sexual orientation was a lot more gay than straight. ● N‑COUNT Straight is also a noun. □ …a standard of sexual conduct that applies equally to gays and straights.
10 ADJ [ADJ n] A straight drink, especially an alcoholic drink, has not had another liquid such as water added to it. □ …a large straight whiskey without ice.
11 N‑COUNT On a racetrack, a straight is a section of the track that is straight, rather than curved. □ I went to overtake him on the back straight on the last lap.
12 → see also home stretch
13 PHRASE If you get something straight , you make sure that you understand it properly or that someone else does. [SPOKEN ] □ Let's get things straight. I didn't lunch with her.
14 PHRASE If a criminal is going straight , they are no longer involved in crime.
15 PHRASE If something keeps people on the straight and narrow , it helps to keep them living an honest or healthy life. □ All her efforts to keep him on the straight and narrow have been rewarded.
16 a straight face → see face ➊
17 to set the record straight → see record
strai ght a r|row (straight arrows ) N‑COUNT [oft N n] A straight arrow is someone who is very traditional, honest, and moral. [mainly AM ] □ …a well-scrubbed, straight-arrow group of young people.
strai ght awa y also straightaway ADV [ADV with v] If you do something straight away , you do it immediately and without delay. □ I should go and see a doctor straight away.
straight|en /stre I t ə n/ (straightens , straightening , straightened )
1 VERB If you straighten something, you make it tidy or put it in its proper position. □ [V n] She sipped her coffee and straightened a picture on the wall. □ [V n] …tidying, straightening cushions and organising magazines.
2 VERB If you are standing in a relaxed or slightly bent position and then you straighten , you make your back or body straight and upright. □ [V ] The three men straightened and stood waiting. ● PHRASAL VERB Straighten up means the same as straighten . □ [V P ] He straightened up and slipped his hands in his pockets.
3 VERB If you straighten something, or it straightens , it becomes straight. □ [V n] Straighten both legs until they are fully extended. □ [V ] The road straightened and we were on a plateau. ● PHRASAL VERB Straighten out means the same as straighten . □ [V P n] No one would dream of straightening out the knobbly spire at Empingham Church. □ [V P ] The road twisted its way up the mountain then straightened out for the last two hundred yards. [Also V n P ]
▸ straighten out
1 PHRASAL VERB If you straighten out a confused situation, you succeed in getting it organized and tidied up. □ [V P n] He would make an appointment with him to straighten out a couple of things. □ [V n P ] My sister had come in with her calm common sense and straightened them out.
2 → see straighten 3
▸ straighten up → see straighten 2
strai ght-fa ced ADJ [usu ADJ n, ADJ after v] A straight-faced person appears not to be amused in a funny situation. □ …a straight-faced, humourless character. □ 'Whatever gives you that idea?' she replied straight-faced.
straight|forward /stre I tfɔː r wə r d/
1 ADJ [oft ADJ to-inf] If you describe something as straightforward , you approve of it because it is easy to do or understand. [APPROVAL ] □ Disposable nappies are fairly straightforward to put on. □ The question seemed straightforward enough.
2 ADJ If you describe a person or their behaviour as straightforward , you approve of them because they are honest and direct, and do not try to hide their feelings. [APPROVAL ] □ She is very blunt, very straightforward and very honest.
strai ght-la ced → see strait-laced
strain ◆◇◇ /stre I n/ (strains , straining , strained )
1 N‑VAR [oft under N ] If strain is put on an organization or system, it has to do more than it is able to do. □ The prison service is already under considerable strain. □ [+ on ] The vast expansion in secondary education is putting an enormous strain on the system.
2 VERB To strain something means to make it do more than it is able to do. □ [V n] The volume of scheduled flights is straining the air traffic control system.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Strain is a state of worry and tension caused by a difficult situation. □ She was tired and under great strain. □ …the stresses and strains of a busy and demanding career.
4 N‑SING If you say that a situation is a strain , you mean that it makes you worried and tense. □ I sometimes find it a strain to be responsible for the mortgage.
5 N‑UNCOUNT Strain is a force that pushes, pulls, or stretches something in a way that may damage it. □ Place your hands under your buttocks to take some of the strain off your back.
6 N‑VAR [usu n N ] Strain is an injury to a muscle in your body, caused by using the muscle too much or twisting it. □ Avoid muscle strain by warming up with slow jogging.
7 VERB If you strain a muscle, you injure it by using it too much or twisting it. □ [V n] He strained his back during a practice session.
8 VERB If you strain to do something, you make a great effort to do it when it is difficult to do. □ [V to-inf] I had to strain to hear. □ [V n] They strained their eyes, but saw nothing.
9 VERB When you strain food, you separate the liquid part of it from the solid parts. □ [V n] Strain the stock and put it back into the pan.
10 N‑SING You can use strain to refer to a particular quality in someone's character, remarks, or work. □ There was a strain of bitterness in his voice. □ …this cynical strain in the book.
11 N‑COUNT A strain of a germ, plant, or other organism is a particular type of it. □ [+ of ] Every year new strains of influenza develop.
12 → see also eye strain , repetitive strain injury
strained /stre I nd/
1 ADJ If someone's appearance, voice, or behaviour is strained , they seem worried and nervous. □ Gil sensed something wrong from her father's strained voice.
2 ADJ If relations between people are strained , those people do not like or trust each other. □ …a period of strained relations between the prime minister and his deputy.
strain|er /stre I nə r / (strainers ) N‑COUNT A strainer is an object with holes which you pour a liquid through in order to separate the liquid from the solids in it. □ Pour the broth through a strainer. □ …a tea strainer.
strait /stre I t/ (straits )
1 N‑COUNT You can refer to a narrow strip of sea which joins two large areas of sea as a strait or the straits . □ An estimated 1600 vessels pass through the strait annually. □ …the Straits of Gibraltar.
2 N‑PLURAL [adj N ] If someone is in dire or desperate straits , they are in a very difficult situation, usually because they do not have much money. □ The company's closure has left many small businessmen in desperate financial straits.
strait|ened /stre I t ə nd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If someone is living in straitened circumstances, they do not have as much money as they used to, and are finding it very hard to buy or pay for everything that they need. [FORMAL ] □ His father died when he was ten, leaving the family in straitened circumstances.
strait|jacket /stre I tdʒæk I t/ (straitjackets )
1 N‑COUNT A straitjacket is a special jacket used to tie the arms of a violent person tightly around their body.
2 N‑COUNT If you describe an idea or a situation as a straitjacket , you mean that it is very limited and restricting. □ The national curriculum must be a guide, not a straitjacket.
strai t-la ced also straight-laced , straitlaced ADJ If you describe someone as strait-laced , you disapprove of them because they have very strict views about what kind of behaviour is moral or acceptable. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was criticised for being boring, strait-laced and narrow-minded.
strand /stræ nd/ (strands , stranding , stranded )
1 N‑COUNT A strand of something such as hair, wire, or thread is a single thin piece of it. □ [+ of ] She tried to blow a gray strand of hair from her eyes. □ [+ of ] …high fences, topped by strands of barbed-wire.
2 N‑COUNT A strand of a plan or theory is a part of it. □ There had been two strands to his tactics. □ He's trying to bring together various strands of radical philosophic thought.
3 VERB If you are stranded , you are prevented from leaving a place, for example because of bad weather. □ [be V -ed] The climbers had been stranded by a storm.
strange ◆◆◇ /stre I ndʒ/ (stranger , strangest )
1 ADJ Something that is strange is unusual or unexpected, and makes you feel slightly nervous or afraid. □ Then a strange thing happened. □ There was something strange about the flickering blue light. □ It's strange how things turn out. ● strange|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ She noticed he was acting strangely. □ The hut suddenly seemed strangely silent. ● strange|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the breathy strangeness of the music.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A strange place is one that you have never been to before. A strange person is someone that you have never met before. □ I ended up alone in a strange city. □ She was faced with a new job, in unfamiliar surroundings with strange people.
3 → see also stranger
strange|ly /stre I ndʒli/
1 ADV You use strangely to emphasize that what you are saying is surprising. [EMPHASIS ] □ Strangely, the race didn't start until 8.15pm. □ No, strangely enough, this is not the case.
2 → see also strange
stran|ger /stre I ndʒə r / (strangers )
1 N‑COUNT A stranger is someone you have never met before. □ Telling a complete stranger about your life is difficult. □ Sometimes I feel like I'm living with a stranger.
2 N‑PLURAL If two people are strangers , they do not know each other. □ The women knew nothing of the dead girl. They were strangers.
3 N‑COUNT If you are a stranger in a place, you do not know the place well. □ 'You don't know much about our town, do you?'—'No, I'm a stranger here.'
4 N‑COUNT If you are a stranger to something, you have had no experience of it or do not understand it. □ [+ to ] He is no stranger to controversy. □ [+ to ] We were both strangers to diplomatic life.
5 → see also strange
stran|gle /stræ ŋg ə l/ (strangles , strangling , strangled )
1 VERB To strangle someone means to kill them by squeezing their throat tightly so that they cannot breathe. □ [V n] He tried to strangle a border policeman and steal his gun.
2 VERB To strangle something means to prevent it from succeeding or developing. □ [V n] The country's economic plight is strangling its scientific institutions.
stran|gled /stræ ŋg ə ld/ ADJ [ADJ n] A strangled voice or cry sounds unclear because the throat muscles of the person speaking or crying are tight. [LITERARY ] □ In a strangled voice he said, 'This place is going to be unthinkable without you.'
strangle|hold /stræ ŋg ə lhoʊld/ N‑SING To have a stranglehold on something means to have control over it and prevent it from being free or from developing. □ These companies are determined to keep a stranglehold on the banana industry.
stran|gu|la|tion /stræ ŋgjʊle I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Strangulation is the act of killing someone by squeezing their throat tightly so that they cannot breathe. □ [+ of ] He is charged with the strangulation of two students.
strap /stræ p/ (straps , strapping , strapped )
1 N‑COUNT A strap is a narrow piece of leather, cloth, or other material. Straps are used to carry things, fasten things together, or to hold a piece of clothing in place. □ [+ of ] Nancy gripped the strap of her beach bag. □ [+ of ] She pulled the strap of her nightgown onto her shoulder. □ I undid my watch strap.
2 VERB If you strap something somewhere, you fasten it there with a strap. □ [V n prep] We strapped the skis onto the roof of the car. □ [V n with on/in/down ] Through the basement window I saw him strap on his pink cycling helmet.
strap|less /stræ pləs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A strapless dress or bra does not have the usual narrow bands of material over the shoulders. □ …a black, strapless evening dress.
strapped /stræ pt/
1 ADJ [adv ADJ ] If someone is strapped for money, they do not have enough money to buy or pay for the things they want or need. □ [+ for ] My husband and I are really strapped for cash.
2 → see also cash-strapped
strap|ping /stræ p I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe someone as strapping , you mean that they are tall and strong, and look healthy. [APPROVAL ] □ He was a bricklayer–a big, strapping fellow.
strap|py /stræ p I /
1 ADJ A strappy dress or top has thin shoulder straps.
2 ADJ Strappy shoes have thin straps over the feet. □ …strappy sandals.
stra|ta /strɑː tə, [AM ] stre I tə/ Strata is the plural of stratum .
strata|gem /stræ tədʒəm/ (stratagems ) N‑COUNT A stratagem is a plan that is intended to achieve a particular effect, often by deceiving people. [FORMAL ] □ Trade discounts may be used as a competitive stratagem to secure customer loyalty.
stra|tegic ◆◇◇ /strətiː dʒ I k/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Strategic means relating to the most important, general aspects of something such as a military operation or political policy, especially when these are decided in advance. □ …the new strategic thinking at the recent London summit. □ The island is of strategic importance to France. ● stra|tegi|cal|ly /strətiː dʒ I kli/ ADV □ …strategically important roads, bridges and buildings.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Strategic weapons are very powerful missiles that can be fired only after a decision to use them has been made by a political leader. □ …strategic nuclear weapons.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you put something in a strategic position, you place it cleverly in a position where it will be most useful or have the most effect. □ …the marble benches Eve had placed at strategic points throughout the gardens, where the views were spectacular. ● stra|tegi|cal|ly ADV [usu ADV -ed] □ We had kept its presence hidden with a strategically placed chair. SYNONYMS strategic ADJ 1
tactical: The security forces had made a tactical withdrawal from the area.
calculated: The President took a calculated political risk in throwing his full support behind the rebels.
deliberate: It has a deliberate policy to introduce world art to Britain.
strat|egist /stræ tədʒ I st/ (strategists ) N‑COUNT A strategist is someone who is skilled in planning the best way to gain an advantage or to achieve success, especially in war. □ Military strategists had devised a plan that guaranteed a series of stunning victories.
strat|egy ◆◆◇ /stræ tədʒi/ (strategies )
1 N‑VAR A strategy is a general plan or set of plans intended to achieve something, especially over a long period. □ The group hope to agree a strategy for policing the area. □ What should our marketing strategy have achieved?
2 N‑UNCOUNT Strategy is the art of planning the best way to gain an advantage or achieve success, especially in war. □ I've just been explaining the basic principles of strategy to my generals. COLLOCATIONS strategy NOUN 1
noun + strategy : business, growth, investment, marketing
adjective + strategy : clear, coherent, effective, long-term; high-risk, risky; corporate, economic, global, military
verb + strategy : adopt, devise, implement, pursue SYNONYMS strategy NOUN 2
policy: …the government's policy on repatriation.
procedure: The White House said there would be no change in procedure.
strati|fi|ca|tion /stræ t I f I ke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Stratification is the division of something, especially society, into different classes or layers. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] She was concerned about the stratification of American society.
strati|fied /stræ t I fa I d/ ADJ A stratified society is one that is divided into different classes or social layers. [FORMAL ] □ …a highly stratified, unequal and class-divided society.
strato|sphere /stræ təsf I ə r /
1 N‑SING The stratosphere is the layer of the earth's atmosphere which lies between 10 and 50 kilometres above the earth.
2 N‑SING If you say that someone or something climbs or is sent into the stratosphere , you mean that they reach a very high level. [JOURNALISM ] □ This was enough to launch their careers into the stratosphere.
strato|spher|ic /stræ təsfe r I k, [AM ] -f I r I k/ ADJ [ADJ n] Stratospheric means found in or related to the stratosphere. □ …stratospheric ozone.
stra|tum /strɑː təm, [AM ] stre I təm/ (strata )
1 N‑COUNT A stratum of society is a group of people in it who are similar in their education, income, or social status. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] It was an enormous task that affected every stratum of society.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Strata are different layers of rock. [TECHNICAL ] □ Shale gas is methane trapped in rock strata.
straw /strɔː / (straws )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Straw consists of the dried, yellowish stalks from crops such as wheat or barley. □ The barn was full of bales of straw. □ …a wide-brimmed straw hat.
2 N‑COUNT A straw is a thin tube of paper or plastic, which you use to suck a drink into your mouth. □ …a bottle of lemonade with a straw in it.
3 PHRASE If you are clutching at straws or grasping at straws , you are trying unusual or extreme ideas or methods because other ideas or methods have failed. □ …a badly thought-out scheme from a Government clutching at straws.
4 PHRASE If an event is the last straw or the straw that broke the camel's back , it is the latest in a series of unpleasant or undesirable events, and makes you feel that you cannot tolerate a situation any longer. □ The crisis could be the last straw for many of the world's poorest people.
5 PHRASE If you draw the short straw , you are chosen from a number of people to perform a job or duty that you will not enjoy. □ A few guests have drawn the short straw and agreed to drive others home.
straw|berry /strɔː bri, [AM ] -beri/ (strawberries ) N‑COUNT A strawberry is a small red fruit which is soft and juicy and has tiny yellow seeds on its skin. □ …strawberries and cream. □ …homemade strawberry jam.
stra w|berry blo nde (strawberry blondes ) also strawberry blond
1 ADJ Strawberry blonde hair is reddish blonde.
2 N‑COUNT A strawberry blonde is a person, especially a woman, who has strawberry blonde hair.
stra w po ll (straw polls ) N‑COUNT A straw poll is the unofficial questioning of a group of people to find out their opinion about something. □ A straw poll conducted at the end of the meeting found most people agreed with Mr Forth.
stray /stre I / (strays , straying , strayed )
1 VERB If someone strays somewhere, they wander away from where they are supposed to be. □ [V prep/adv] Tourists often get lost and stray into dangerous areas. □ [V ] A railway line crosses the park so children must not be allowed to stray.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A stray dog or cat has wandered away from its owner's home. □ …a refuge for stray cats. ● N‑COUNT Stray is also a noun. □ The dog was a stray which had been adopted.
3 VERB If your mind or your eyes stray , you do not concentrate on or look at one particular subject, but start thinking about or looking at other things. □ [V ] Even with the simplest cases I find my mind straying.
4 ADJ [ADJ n] You use stray to describe something that exists separated from other similar things. □ An 8-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet. □ She shrugged a stray lock of hair out of her eyes.
streak /striː k/ (streaks , streaking , streaked )
1 N‑COUNT A streak is a long stripe or mark on a surface which contrasts with the surface because it is a different colour. □ There are these dark streaks on the surface of the moon. □ The flames begin as a few streaks of red against the pale brown of the walls.
2 VERB If something streaks a surface, it makes long stripes or marks on the surface. □ [V n] Rain had begun to streak the window-panes. □ [be V -ed + with ] His face was pale and streaked with dirt.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If someone has a streak of a particular type of behaviour, they sometimes behave in that way. □ He's still got a mean streak.
4 VERB If something or someone streaks somewhere, they move there very quickly. □ [V prep/adv] A meteorite streaked across the sky.
5 N‑COUNT [adj N ] A winning streak or a lucky streak is a continuous series of successes, for example in gambling or sport. A losing streak or an unlucky streak is a series of failures or losses. □ The casinos had better watch out since I'm obviously on a lucky streak!
streak|er /striː kə r / (streakers ) N‑COUNT A streaker is someone who runs quickly through a public place wearing no clothes, as a joke.
streaky /striː ki/ (streakier , streakiest ) ADJ Something that is streaky is marked with long stripes that are a different colour to the rest of it. □ She has streaky fair hair and blue eyes. □ …the empty house with its streaky windows.
strea ky ba|con N‑UNCOUNT Streaky bacon is bacon which has stripes of fat between stripes of meat. [BRIT ]
stream ◆◇◇ /striː m/ (streams , streaming , streamed )
1 N‑COUNT A stream is a small narrow river. □ There was a small stream at the end of the garden. □ …a mountain stream.
2 N‑COUNT A stream of smoke, air, or liquid is a narrow moving mass of it. □ [+ of ] The window was open, letting in streams of cold sea air. □ Add the oil in a slow, steady stream.
3 N‑COUNT A stream of vehicles or people is a long moving line of them. □ [+ of ] There was a stream of traffic behind him.
4 N‑COUNT A stream of things is a large number of them occurring one after another. □ [+ of ] We had a constant stream of visitors.
5 VERB If a liquid streams somewhere, it flows or comes out in large amounts. □ [V prep/adv] Tears streamed down their faces. □ [V prep/adv] She came in, rain streaming from her clothes and hair.
6 VERB [usu cont] If your eyes are streaming , liquid is coming from them, for example because you have a cold. You can also say that your nose is streaming . □ [V ] Her eyes were streaming now from the wind. □ [V -ing] A cold usually starts with a streaming nose and dry throat.
7 VERB If people or vehicles stream somewhere, they move there quickly and in large numbers. □ [V prep/adv] Hundreds of people were streaming into the banquet room.
8 VERB When light streams into or out of a place, it shines strongly into or out of it. □ [V prep/adv] Sunlight was streaming into the courtyard.
9 VERB If you stream music, films, or television programmes, you play them directly from the internet. □ [V n] A smart TV gives you the ability to stream TV shows and movies on demand. □ [V n to n] You can stream music to your stereo system from your mobile phone.
10 PHRASE If something such as a new factory or a new system comes on stream or is brought on stream , it begins to operate or becomes available. □ 20 big projects will come on stream over the next three years.
11 → see also jet stream COLLOCATIONS stream NOUN
1
noun + stream : mountain
adjective + stream : shallow, small; freshwater, tidal
verb + stream : cross
4
adjective + stream : constant, continuous, endless, never-ending VERB 5
noun + stream : blood, tears, water
stream + adverb : down
stream|er /striː mə r / (streamers ) N‑COUNT Streamers are long rolls of coloured paper used for decorating rooms at parties.
stream|ing /striː m I ŋ/
1 N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] Streaming is a method of transmitting data from the internet directly to a user's computer or phone screen without the need to download it. [COMPUTING ] □ …web sites that feature streaming media.
2 → see also stream
stream|line /striː mla I n/ (streamlines , streamlining , streamlined ) VERB To streamline an organization or process means to make it more efficient by removing unnecessary parts of it. □ [V n] They're making efforts to streamline their normally cumbersome bureaucracy.
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