3 a thousand and one → see one

thou|sandth /θaʊ z ə nθ/ (thousandths )


1 ORD The thousandth item in a series is the one that you count as number one thousand. □ The magazine has just published its six thousandth edition. ● ORD If you say that something has happened for the thousandth time, you are emphasizing that it has happened again and that it has already happened a great many times. [EMPHASIS ] □ The phone rings for the thousandth time.


2 FRACTION A thousandth is one of a thousand equal parts of something. □ …a dust particle weighing only a thousandth of a gram.

thrall /θrɔː l/ N‑UNCOUNT If you say that someone is in thrall to a person or thing, you mean that they are completely in their power or are greatly influenced by them. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] He is not in thrall to the media. □ [+ of ] Tomorrow's children will be even more in the thrall of the silicon chip.

thrash /θræ ʃ/ (thrashes , thrashing , thrashed )


1 VERB If one player or team thrashes another in a game or contest, they defeat them easily or by a large score. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n amount] The team thrashed their opponents 5-nil. [Also V n]


2 VERB If you thrash someone, you hit them several times as a punishment. □ [V n] The school has dismissed the teacher, who is said to have thrashed pupils with sticks.


3 VERB If someone thrashes about , or thrashes their arms or legs about , they move in a wild or violent way, often hitting against something. You can also say that someone's arms or legs thrash about . □ [V adv/prep] Many of the crew died a terrible death as they thrashed about in shark-infested waters. □ [V n adv/prep] Jimmy collapsed on the floor, thrashing his legs about like an injured racehorse.


4 VERB If a person or thing thrashes something, or thrashes at something, they hit it continually in a violent or noisy way. □ [V n] …a magnificent paddle-steamer on the mighty Mississippi, her huge wheel thrashing the muddy water. □ [V + at ] Three shaggy-haired men thrash tunelessly at their guitars.


5 → see also thrashing


▸ thrash out


1 PHRASAL VERB If people thrash out something such as a plan or an agreement, they decide on it after a great deal of discussion. □ [V P n] The foreign ministers have thrashed out a suitable compromise formula. [Also V n P ]


2 PHRASAL VERB If people thrash out a problem or a dispute, they discuss it thoroughly until they reach an agreement. □ [V P n] …a sincere effort by two people to thrash out differences. [Also V n P ]

thrash|ing /θræ ʃ I ŋ/ (thrashings )


1 N‑COUNT If one player or team gives another one a thrashing , they defeat them easily or by a large score. [INFORMAL ] □ Can the New Zealand bowlers fight back after their thrashing at Christchurch?


2 N‑COUNT If someone gives someone else a thrashing , they hit them several times as a punishment. □ If Sarah caught her, she would get a thrashing.


3 → see also thrash

thread /θre d/ (threads , threading , threaded )


1 N‑VAR Thread or a thread is a long very thin piece of a material such as cotton, nylon, or silk, especially one that is used in sewing. □ …a tiny Nepalese hat embroidered with golden threads.


2 N‑COUNT The thread of an argument, a story, or a situation is an aspect of it that connects all the different parts together. □ The thread running through many of these proposals was the theme of opportunity.


3 N‑COUNT A thread of something such as liquid, light, or colour is a long thin line or piece of it. □ [+ of ] A thin, glistening thread of moisture ran along the rough concrete sill.


4 N‑COUNT The thread on a screw, or on something such as a lid or a pipe, is the raised spiral line of metal or plastic around it which allows it to be fixed in place by twisting. □ The screw threads will be able to get a good grip.


5 N‑COUNT On the internet, a thread is a series of messages from different people about a particular subject. □ I saw the post but I didn't read the thread below it.


6 VERB If you thread your way through a group of people or things, or thread through it, you move through it carefully or slowly, changing direction frequently as you move. □ [V n prep] Slowly, she threaded her way back through the moving mass of bodies. □ [V prep] We threaded through a network of back streets.


7 VERB If you thread a long thin object through something, you pass it through one or more holes or narrow spaces. □ [V n + through ] …threading the laces through the eyelets of his shoes. □ [V n + into ] These instruments allow doctors to thread microscopic telescopes into the digestive tract.


8 VERB If you thread small objects such as beads onto a string or thread, you join them together by pushing the string through them. □ [V n prep] Wipe the mushrooms clean and thread them on a string.


9 VERB When you thread a needle, you put a piece of thread through the hole in the top of the needle in order to sew with it. □ [V n] I sit down, thread a needle, snip off an old button.


10 PHRASE If you say that something is hanging by a thread , you mean that it is in a very uncertain state and is unlikely to survive or succeed. □ The fragile peace was hanging by a thread as thousands of hardliners took to the streets.


11 PHRASE If you pick up the threads of an activity, you start it again after an interruption. If you pick up the threads of your life , you become more active again after a period of failure or bad luck. □ Many women have been able to pick up the threads of their former career.

thread|bare /θre dbeə r /


1 ADJ Threadbare clothes, carpets, and other pieces of cloth look old, dull, and very thin, because they have been worn or used too much. □ She sat cross-legged on a square of threadbare carpet.


2 ADJ If you describe an activity, an idea, or an argument as threadbare , you mean that it is very weak, or inadequate, or old and no longer interesting. □ …the government's threadbare domestic policies.

threat ◆◆◇ /θre t/ (threats )


1 N‑VAR A threat to a person or thing is a danger that something unpleasant might happen to them. A threat is also the cause of this danger. □ [+ to ] Some couples see single women as a threat to their relationships. □ [+ of ] The Hurricane Center warns people not to take the threat of tropical storms lightly. [Also + from ]


2 N‑COUNT [oft N to-inf] A threat is a statement by someone that they will do something unpleasant, especially if you do not do what they want. □ He may be forced to carry out his threat to resign. □ [+ by ] The writer remains in hiding after threats by former officials of the ousted dictatorship.


3 PHRASE If a person or thing is under threat , there is a danger that something unpleasant might be done to them, or that they might cease to exist. □ His position as leader will be under threat at a party congress due next month. □ [+ of ] She lives daily under threat of violence. [Also + from ] SYNONYMS threat NOUN 1


danger: …the dangers of smoking.


risk: There is a small risk of brain damage from the procedure.


hazard: A new report suggests that chewing-gum may be a health hazard.

threat|en ◆◆◇ /θre t ə n/ (threatens , threatening , threatened )


1 VERB If a person threatens to do something unpleasant to you, or if they threaten you, they say or imply that they will do something unpleasant to you, especially if you do not do what they want. □ [V to-inf] He said army officers had threatened to destroy the town. □ [V n + with ] He tied her up and threatened her with a six-inch knife. □ [V n] If you threaten me or use any force, I shall inform the police. [Also V that]


2 VERB If something or someone threatens a person or thing, they are likely to harm that person or thing. □ [V n] The newcomers directly threaten the livelihood of the established workers. □ [be V -ed + with ] 30 percent of reptiles, birds, and fish are currently threatened with extinction.


3 VERB If something unpleasant threatens to happen, it seems likely to happen. □ [V to-inf] The fighting is threatening to turn into full-scale war.


4 → see also threatened , threatening

threat|ened /θre t ə nd/


1 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you feel threatened , you feel as if someone is trying to harm you. □ Anger is the natural reaction we experience when we feel threatened or frustrated. [Also + by ]


2 → see also threaten

threat|en|ing ◆◇◇ /θre tən I ŋ/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe someone's behaviour as threatening when you think that they are trying to harm you. □ The police could have charged them with threatening behaviour. ● threat|en|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ 'This ain't no affair of yours, boy!' McClosky said threateningly.


2 → see also life-threatening , threaten

three ◆◆◆ /θriː / (threes ) NUM Three is the number 3. □ We waited three months before going back to see the specialist.

three -co rnered ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something such as a disagreement, competition, or game as three-cornered , you mean that it involves three people, groups, or teams. [mainly BRIT ] □ …the three-cornered struggle between employers and male and female workers.

three -dime nsional


1 ADJ A three-dimensional object is solid rather than flat, because it can be measured in three different directions, usually the height, length, and width. The abbreviation 3-D can also be used. □ …a three-dimensional model.


2 ADJ A three-dimensional picture, image, or film looks as though it is deep or solid rather than flat. The abbreviation 3-D can also be used. □ …new software, which generates both two-dimensional drawings and three-dimensional images.


3 ADJ If you describe fictional characters as three-dimensional you mean that they seem real and natural. [APPROVAL ] □ She is a full, three-dimensional character in a way that is unusual for the horror genre.


4 ADJ [ADJ n] Three-dimensional art or design is produced by carving or shaping stone, wood, clay, or other materials. The abbreviation 3-D can also be used. □ …a degree in three-dimensional art.

three -fou rths QUANT In American English, people sometimes use three-fourths to mean three-quarters . □ Three-fourths of the apartments in the ghetto had no heat. ● PRON Three-fourths is also a pronoun. □ He has just under 1,600 delegates, about three-fourths what he needs to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

three -line whi p (three-line whips ) N‑COUNT A three-line whip is a situation where the MPs in a political party are ordered to attend parliament and vote in a particular way on a particular issue. [BRIT ]

three -pie ce


1 ADJ [ADJ n] A three-piece suit is a set of three pieces of matching clothing, usually a man's jacket, waistcoat, and trousers.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] A three-piece suite is a sofa and two matching armchairs. [mainly BRIT ]

three -point tu rn (three-point turns ) N‑COUNT When the driver of a vehicle does a three-point turn , he or she turns the vehicle by driving forwards in a curve, then backwards in a curve, and then forwards in a curve.

three -qua rter also three quarter ADJ [ADJ n] You can use three-quarter to describe something which is three fourths of the usual size or three fourths of a standard measurement. □ Choose short or three-quarter sleeves for summer. □ …a session which lasted one and three-quarter hours.

three -qua rters QUANT Three-quarters is an amount that is three out of four equal parts of something. □ [+ of ] Three-quarters of the country's workers took part in the strike. □ [+ of ] It took him about three-quarters of an hour. ● PRON Three-quarters is also a pronoun. □ Road deaths have increased by three-quarters. ● ADV [ADV adj/-ed] Three-quarters is also an adverb. □ We were left with an open bottle of champagne three-quarters full.

three R s N‑PLURAL When talking about children's education, the three Rs are the basic skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic.

three|some /θriː səm/ (threesomes ) N‑COUNT A threesome is a group of three people.

three -whee ler (three-wheelers ) N‑COUNT A three-wheeler is a bicycle or car with three wheels.

thresh /θre ʃ/ (threshes , threshing , threshed ) VERB [usu passive] When a cereal such as corn, wheat, or rice is threshed , it is beaten in order to separate the grains from the rest of the plant. □ [be V -ed] The corn was still sown, cut and threshed as it was a hundred years ago. [Also V ]

thresh|old /θre ʃhoʊld/ (thresholds )


1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The threshold of a building or room is the floor in the doorway, or the doorway itself. □ [+ of ] He stopped at the threshold of the bedroom.


2 N‑COUNT [n N ] A threshold is an amount, level, or limit on a scale. When the threshold is reached, something else happens or changes. □ [+ of ] She has a low threshold of boredom and needs the constant stimulation of physical activity. □ Fewer than forty per cent voted–the threshold for results to be valid.


3 PHRASE If you are on the threshold of something exciting or new, you are about to experience it. □ We are on the threshold of a new era in astronomy.

threw /θruː / Threw is the past tense of throw .

thrice /θra I s/


1 ADV [ADV with v, ADV adv, ADV n] Something that happens thrice happens three times. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ They should think not twice, but thrice, before ignoring such advice. □ She plays tennis thrice weekly.


2 ADV [ADV n] You can use thrice to indicate that something is three times the size, value, or intensity of something else. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ …moving at thrice the speed of sound.

thrift /θr I ft/ (thrifts )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Thrift is the quality and practice of being careful with money and not wasting things. [APPROVAL ] □ They were rightly praised for their thrift and enterprise.


2 N‑COUNT A thrift or a thrift institution is a kind of savings bank. [AM , BUSINESS ]

thri ft shop (thrift shops ) N‑COUNT A thrift shop or thrift store is a shop that sells used goods cheaply and gives its profits to a charity. [AM ] in BRIT, use charity shop

thrifty /θr I fti/ (thriftier , thriftiest ) ADJ If you say that someone is thrifty , you are praising them for saving money, not buying unnecessary things, and not wasting things. [APPROVAL ] □ My mother taught me to be thrifty. □ …thrifty shoppers.

thrill /θr I l/ (thrills , thrilling , thrilled )


1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If something gives you a thrill , it gives you a sudden feeling of great excitement, pleasure, or fear. □ [+ of ] I can remember the thrill of not knowing what I would get on Christmas morning. □ [+ for ] It's a great thrill for a cricket-lover like me to play at the home of cricket.


2 VERB If something thrills you, or if you thrill at it, it gives you a feeling of great pleasure and excitement. □ [V n] The electric atmosphere both terrified and thrilled him. □ [V + at/to ] The children will thrill at all their favourite characters.


3 → see also thrilled , thrilling


4 PHRASE If you refer to thrills and spills , you are referring to an experience which is exciting and full of surprises. □ Its prime audience lies in the 17 to 24 age group, and they want instant thrills and spills.

thrilled /θr I ld/


1 ADJ [v-link ADJ , oft ADJ to-inf, ADJ that] If someone is thrilled , they are extremely pleased about something. □ I was so thrilled to get a good report from him. □ [+ with ] Sue and John were especially thrilled with this award.


2 PHRASE If you say that someone is thrilled to bits , you are emphasizing the fact that they are extremely pleased about something. You can also say thrilled to pieces , especially in American English. [EMPHASIS ] □ I'm thrilled to bits to have won the cash. [Also + at/with ]


3 → see also thrill

thrill|er /θr I lə r / (thrillers ) N‑COUNT A thriller is a book, film, or play that tells an exciting fictional story about something such as criminal activities or spying. □ …a tense psychological thriller.

thrill|ing /θr I l I ŋ/


1 ADJ Something that is thrilling is very exciting and enjoyable. □ Our wildlife trips offer a thrilling encounter with wildlife in its natural state. ● thrill|ing|ly ADV [ADV adj, ADV with v] □ Watson has a wonderful voice, with thrillingly clear top notes.


2 → see also thrill

thrive /θra I v/ (thrives , thriving , thrived )


1 VERB If someone or something thrives , they do well and are successful, healthy, or strong. □ [V ] Today his company continues to thrive. □ [V -ing] …the river's thriving population of kingfishers.


2 VERB If you say that someone thrives on a particular situation, you mean that they enjoy it or that they can deal with it very well, especially when other people find it unpleasant or difficult. □ [V + on ] Many people thrive on a stressful lifestyle.

thro' also thro Thro' is sometimes used as a written abbreviation for through .

throat ◆◇◇ /θroʊ t/ (throats )


1 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your throat is the back of your mouth and the top part of the tubes that go down into your stomach and your lungs. □ She had a sore throat. □ As she stared at him, she felt her throat go dry.


2 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Your throat is the front part of your neck. □ His striped tie was loosened at his throat.


3 PHRASE If you clear your throat , you cough once in order to make it easier to speak or to attract people's attention. □ Cross cleared his throat and spoke in low, polite tones.


4 PHRASE If you ram something down someone's throat or force it down their throat , you keep mentioning a situation or idea in order to make them accept it or believe it. □ I've always been close to my dad but he's never rammed his career down my throat.


5 PHRASE If two people or groups are at each other's throats , they are quarrelling or fighting violently with each other. □ The idea that Billy and I are at each other's throats couldn't be further from the truth.


6 PHRASE If something sticks in your throat , you find it unacceptable. □ What sticks in my throat is that I wasn't able to win the trophy.


7 a lump in your throat → see lump

throaty /θroʊ ti/ ADJ A throaty voice or laugh is low and rather rough.

throb /θrɒ b/ (throbs , throbbing , throbbed )


1 VERB If part of your body throbs , you feel a series of strong and usually painful beats there. □ [V ] His head throbbed. ● N‑SING Throb is also a noun. □ The bruise on his stomach ached with a steady throb.


2 VERB If something throbs , it vibrates and makes a steady noise. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] The engines throbbed. ● N‑SING Throb is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Jake's head jerked up at the throb of the engine.

throes /θroʊ z/


1 N‑PLURAL If someone is experiencing something very unpleasant or emotionally painful, you can say that they are in the throes of it, especially when it is in its final stages. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …when the country was going through the final throes of civil war.


2 PHRASE If you are in the throes of doing or experiencing something, especially something difficult, you are busy doing it or are deeply involved in it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The country is in the throes of a general election.


3 → see also death throes

throm|bo|sis /θrɒmboʊ s I s/ (thromboses /θrɒmboʊ siːz/)


1 N‑VAR Thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot in a person's heart or in one of their blood vessels, which can cause death. [MEDICAL ]


2 → see also coronary thrombosis , deep vein thrombosis

throne /θroʊ n/ (thrones )


1 N‑COUNT A throne is a decorative chair used by a king, queen, or emperor on important official occasions.


2 N‑SING You can talk about the throne as a way of referring to the position of being king, queen, or emperor. □ When Queen Victoria was on the throne, the horse was the main form of transport.

throng /θrɒ ŋ, [AM ] θrɔː ŋ/ (throngs , thronging , thronged )


1 N‑COUNT A throng is a large crowd of people. [LITERARY ] □ An official pushed through the throng.


2 VERB When people throng somewhere, they go there in great numbers. [LITERARY ] □ [V + to/into/around ] The crowds thronged into the mall.


3 VERB If people throng a place, they are present there in great numbers. □ [V n] They throng the beaches between late June and early August. ● thronged ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] □ [+ with ] The streets are thronged with people.

throt|tle /θrɒ t ə l/ (throttles , throttling , throttled )


1 VERB To throttle someone means to kill or injure them by squeezing their throat or tightening something around it and preventing them from breathing. □ [V n] The attacker then tried to throttle her with wire.


2 VERB If you say that something or someone is throttling a process, institution, or group, you mean that they are restricting it severely or destroying it. □ [V n] He said the over-valuation of sterling was throttling industry.


3 N‑COUNT The throttle of a motor vehicle or aircraft is the device, lever, or pedal that controls the quantity of fuel entering the engine and is used to control the vehicle's speed. □ He gently opened the throttle, and the ship began to ease forward.


4 N‑UNCOUNT Throttle is the power that is obtained by using a throttle. □ …motor bikes revving at full throttle.


5 PHRASE If you say that something is done at full throttle , you mean that it is done with great speed and enthusiasm. □ He lived his life at full throttle.

through ◆◆◆ The preposition is pronounced /θruː/. In other cases, through is pronounced /θruː / In addition to the uses shown below, through is used in phrasal verbs such as 'see through', 'think through', and 'win through'. 1 PREP To move through something such as a hole, opening, or pipe means to move directly from one side or end of it to the other. □ The theatre was evacuated when rain poured through the roof at the Liverpool Playhouse. □ Go straight through that door under the EXIT sign. □ Visitors enter through a side entrance. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ He went straight through to the kitchen and took a can of cola from the fridge. □ She opened the door and stood back to allow the man to pass through.


2 PREP To cut through something means to cut it in two pieces or to make a hole in it. □ A fish knife is designed to cut through the flesh but not the bones. □ Some rabbits have even taken to gnawing through the metal. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ Score deeper each time until the board is cut through.


3 PREP To go through a town, area, or country means to travel across it or in it. □ Go up to Ramsgate, cross into France, go through Andorra and into Spain. □ …travelling through pathless woods. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ Few know that the tribe was just passing through.


4 PREP If you move through a group of things or a mass of something, it is on either side of you or all around you. □ We made our way through the crowd to the river. □ Sybil's fingers ran through the water. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ He pushed his way through to the edge of the crowd where he waited.


5 PREP To get through a barrier or obstacle means to get from one side of it to the other. □ Allow twenty-five minutes to get through Passport Control and Customs. □ He was one of the last of the crowd to pass through the barrier. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ …a maze of barriers, designed to prevent vehicles driving straight through.


6 PREP If a driver goes through a red light, they keep driving even though they should stop. □ He was killed at a road junction by a van driver who went through a red light.


7 PREP If something goes into an object and comes out of the other side, you can say that it passes through the object. □ The ends of the net pass through a wooden bar at each end. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ I bored a hole so that the fixing bolt would pass through.


8 PREP To go through a system means to move around it or to pass from one end of it to the other. □ …electric currents travelling through copper wires. □ What a lot of cards you've got through the post! ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ …a resolution which would allow food aid to go through with fewer restrictions.


9 PREP If you see, hear, or feel something through a particular thing, that thing is between you and the thing you can see, hear, or feel. □ Alice gazed pensively through the wet glass.


10 PREP If something such as a feeling, attitude, or quality, happens through an area, organization, or a person's body, it happens everywhere in it or affects all of it. □ An atmosphere of anticipation vibrated through the crowd. □ What was going through his mind when he spoke those amazing words?


11 PREP If something happens or exists through a period of time, it happens or exists from the beginning until the end. □ She kept quiet all through breakfast. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ We've got a tough programme, hard work right through to the summer.


12 PREP If something happens from a particular period of time through another, it starts at the first period and continues until the end of the second period. [AM ] □ …open Monday through Sunday from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. in BRIT, use to 13 PREP If you go through a particular experience or event, you experience it, and if you behave in a particular way through it, you behave in that way while it is happening. □ Men go through a change of life emotionally just like women.


14 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you are through with something or if it is through , you have finished doing it and will never do it again. If you are through with someone, you do not want to have anything to do with them again. □ [+ with ] I'm through with the explaining.


15 PREP You use through in expressions such as half-way through and all the way through to indicate to what extent an action or task is completed. □ A competitor collapsed half-way through the marathon. ● ADV [n ADV ] Through is also an adverb. □ Stir the meat about until it turns white all the way through.


16 PREP If something happens because of something else, you can say that it happens through it. □ They are understood to have retired through age or ill health.


17 PREP You use through when stating the means by which a particular thing is achieved. □ Those who seek to grab power through violence deserve punishment.


18 PREP If you do something through someone else, they take the necessary action for you. □ Do I need to go through my doctor or can I make an appointment direct?


19 ADV [ADV after v] If something such as a proposal or idea goes through , it is accepted by people in authority and is made legal or official. □ It is possible that the present Governor General will be made interim President, if the proposals go through. ● PREP Through is also a preposition. □ They want to get the plan through Congress as quickly as possible.


20 PREP If someone gets through an examination or a round of a competition, they succeed or win. □ She was bright, learned languages quickly, and sailed through her exams. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ Nigeria also go through from that group.


21 ADV [ADV after v] When you get through while making a phone call, the call is connected and you can speak to the person you are phoning. □ He may find the line cut on the phone so that he can't get through.


22 PREP If you look or go through a lot of things, you look at them or deal with them one after the other. □ Let's go through the numbers together and see if a workable deal is possible.


23 PREP If you read through something, you read it from beginning to end. □ She read through pages and pages of the music I had brought her. ● ADV [ADV after v] Through is also an adverb. □ He read the article straight through.


24 ADJ [ADJ n] A through train goes directly to a particular place, so that the people who want to go there do not have to change trains. □ …Britain's longest through train journey, 685 miles.


25 ADV [adj ADV ] If you say that someone or something is wet through , you are emphasizing how wet they are. [EMPHASIS ] □ I returned to the inn cold and wet, soaked through by the drizzling rain.


26 PHRASE Through and through means completely and to the greatest extent possible. □ I've gotten my feet thoroughly soaked and feel frozen through and through.

through|out ◆◆◇ /θruːaʊ t/


1 PREP If you say that something happens throughout a particular period of time, you mean that it happens during the whole of that period. □ The national tragedy of rival groups killing each other continued throughout 1990. □ Movie music can be made memorable because its themes are repeated throughout the film. ● ADV Throughout is also an adverb. □ The first song, 'Blue Moon', didn't go too badly except that everyone talked throughout.


2 PREP If you say that something happens or exists throughout a place, you mean that it happens or exists in all parts of that place. □ 'Sight Savers', founded in 1950, now runs projects throughout Africa, the Caribbean and South East Asia. ● ADV Throughout is also an adverb. □ The route is well sign-posted throughout. SYNONYMS throughout PREP 2


everywhere: I saw her picture everywhere.


all over: …the letters she received from people all over the world.

through|put /θruː pʊt/ N‑UNCOUNT The throughput of an organization or system is the amount of things it can do or deal with in a particular period of time. □ …technologies which will allow us to get much higher throughput.

through|way /θruː we I / → see thruway

throw ◆◆◇ /θroʊ / (throws , throwing , threw , thrown )


1 VERB When you throw an object that you are holding, you move your hand or arm quickly and let go of the object, so that it moves through the air. □ [V n prep/adv] He spent hours throwing a tennis ball against a wall. □ [V n] The crowd began throwing stones. □ [V n with adv] Sophia jumps up and throws down her knitting. □ [V n n] He threw Brian a rope. ● N‑COUNT Throw is also a noun. □ One of the judges thought it was a foul throw. □ [+ of ] A throw of the dice allows a player to move himself forward. ● throw|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ He didn't really know very much about javelin throwing.


2 VERB If you throw your body or part of your body into a particular position or place, you move it there suddenly and with a lot of force. □ [V n prep] She threw her arms around his shoulders. □ [V pron-refl] She threatened to throw herself in front of a train. □ [V n with adv] He set his skinny legs apart and threw back his shoulders.


3 VERB If you throw something into a particular place or position, you put it there in a quick and careless way. □ [V n prep/adv] He struggled out of his bulky jacket and threw it on to the back seat.


4 VERB To throw someone into a particular place or position means to force them roughly into that place or position. □ [V n prep/adv] He threw me to the ground and started to kick. □ [V n prep/adv] The device exploded, throwing Mr Taylor from his car.


5 VERB If you say that someone is thrown into prison, you mean that they are put there by the authorities, especially if this seems unfair or cruel. □ [be V -ed + in/into ] Those two should have been thrown in jail. □ [V n + in/into ] They will throw us into prison on some pretext.


6 VERB If a horse throws its rider, it makes him or her fall off, by suddenly jumping or moving violently. □ [V n] The horse reared, throwing its rider and knocking down a youth standing beside it.


7 VERB If a person or thing is thrown into an unpleasant situation or state, something causes them to be in that situation or state. □ [be V -ed prep] Abidjan was thrown into turmoil because of a protest by taxi drivers. □ [V n prep] Economic recession had thrown millions out of work.


8 VERB If something throws light or a shadow on a surface, it causes that surface to have light or a shadow on it. □ [V n + on/onto ] The sunlight is white and blinding, throwing hard-edged shadows on the ground.


9 VERB If something throws doubt on a person or thing, it causes people to doubt or suspect them. □ [V n + on/upon ] This new information does throw doubt on their choice.


10 VERB [no cont] If you throw a look or smile at someone or something, you look or smile at them quickly and suddenly. □ [V n n] Emily turned and threw her a suggestive grin. [Also V n + at ]


11 VERB If you throw yourself, your energy, or your money into a particular job or activity, you become involved in it very actively or enthusiastically. □ [V pron-refl + into ] She threw herself into a modelling career. □ [V n + into ] They threw all their military resources into the battle.


12 VERB If you throw a fit or a tantrum, you suddenly start to behave in an uncontrolled way. □ [V n] I used to get very upset and scream and swear, throwing tantrums all over the place.


13 VERB If something such as a remark or an experience throws you, it surprises you or confuses you because it is unexpected. □ [V n] The professor rather threw me by asking if I went in for martial arts.


14 VERB If you throw a punch, you punch someone. □ [V n] Everything was fine until someone threw a punch.


15 VERB When someone throws a party, they organize one, usually in their own home. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Why not throw a party for your friends?


16 VERB In sports, if a player throws a game or contest, they lose it as a result of a deliberate action or intention. □ [V n] …offering him a bribe to throw the game.


17 N‑COUNT A throw is a light rug, blanket, or cover for a sofa or bed.


18 PHRASE If things cost a particular amount of money a throw , they cost that amount each. [INFORMAL ] □ Most applications software for personal computers cost over $500 a throw.


19 PHRASE If someone throws themselves at you, they make it very obvious that they want to begin a relationship with you, by behaving as though they are sexually attracted to you. □ I'll say you started it, that you threw yourself at me.


20 to throw someone in at the deep end → see end


21 to throw down the gauntlet → see gauntlet


22 to throw light on something → see light ➊


23 to throw in your lot with someone → see lot


24 to throw money at something → see money


25 to throw good money after bad → see money


26 to throw a spanner in the works → see spanner


27 a stone's throw → see stone


28 to throw in the towel → see towel


29 to throw a wrench → see wrench


▸ throw away or throw out


1 PHRASAL VERB When you throw away or throw out something that you do not want, you get rid of it, for example by putting it in a rubbish container. □ [V n P ] I never throw anything away. □ [V P n] I'm not advising you to throw away your makeup or forget about your appearance.


2 PHRASAL VERB If you throw away an opportunity, advantage, or benefit, you waste it, rather than using it sensibly. □ [V P n] Failing to tackle the deficit would be throwing away an opportunity. □ [V n P ] We should have won. We threw it away.


3 → see also throwaway


▸ throw back


1 PHRASAL VERB If you throw something back at a person, you remind them of something bad they did in the past, in order to upset them. □ [V n P + at ] I should never have told you that. I knew you'd throw it back at me. [Also V + at ]


2 PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If someone is thrown back on their own powers or resources, they have to use them, because there is nothing else they can use. □ [be V -ed P + on ] We are constantly thrown back on our own resources.


▸ throw down PHRASAL VERB If you throw down a challenge to someone, you do something new or unexpected in a bold or forceful manner that will probably cause them to reply or react equally strongly. □ [V P n] The regional parliament threw down a new challenge to central government. □ [V -ed P ] The team have responded to the challenge thrown down by their boss.


▸ throw in


1 PHRASAL VERB If you throw in a remark when having a conversation, you add it in a casual or unexpected way. □ [V P n] Occasionally Farling threw in a question. [Also V n P ]


2 PHRASAL VERB If a person who is selling something throws in something extra, they give you the extra thing and only ask you to pay for the first thing. □ [V P n] Pay £4.80 for larger prints and they throw in a free photo album. □ [V -ed P ] They were offering me a weekend break in Paris–with free meals thrown in. [Also V n P ]


▸ throw off


1 PHRASAL VERB If you throw off something that is restricting you or making you unhappy, you get rid of it. □ [V P n] …a country ready to throw off the shackles of its colonial past. □ [V n P ] Depression descended upon him, and he could never throw it off.


2 PHRASAL VERB If something throws off a substance, it produces it and releases it into the air. □ [V P n] The belt may make a squealing noise and throw off sooty black particles of rubber.


3 PHRASAL VERB If you throw off people who are chasing you or trying to find you, you do something unexpected that makes them unable to catch you or find you. □ [V P n] He is said to have thrown off pursuers by pedaling across the Wisconsin state line. □ [V n P n] He tried to throw police off the track of his lover. [Also V n P ]


▸ throw out


1 → see throw away 1


2 PHRASAL VERB If a judge throws out a case, he or she rejects it and the accused person does not have to stand trial. □ [V P n] The defense wants the district Judge to throw out the case. [Also V n P ]


3 PHRASAL VERB If you throw someone out , you force them to leave a place or group. □ [be/get V -ed P + of ] He was thrown out of 14 schools in 11 years. □ [V n P + of ] I wanted to kill him, but instead I just threw him out of the house. □ [V P n] Directors at the Italian insurer threw out the chief executive in a boardroom coup. [Also V n P ]


▸ throw together


1 PHRASAL VERB If you throw something together , for example a meal or a costume, you make it quickly and not very carefully. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P n] She throws together meals on the kitchen table. [Also V n P ]


2 PHRASAL VERB If people are thrown together by a situation or event, it causes them to get to know each other, even though they may not want to. □ [be V -ed P ] The cast and crew were thrown together for 12 hours a day, six days a week. □ [V -ed P ] At school these two found themselves thrown together quite regularly. □ [be V -ed P + with ] My brother is constantly thrown together with young people through his work. [V n P + with ]


▸ throw up


1 PHRASAL VERB When someone throws up , they vomit. [INFORMAL ] □ [V P ] She said she had thrown up after reading reports of the trial.


2 PHRASAL VERB If something throws up dust, stones, or water, when it moves or hits the ground, it causes them to rise up into the air. □ [V P n] If it had hit the Earth, it would have made a crater 100 miles across and thrown up an immense cloud of dust. [Also V n P ]


3 PHRASAL VERB To throw up a particular person or thing means to produce them or cause them to become noticeable. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V P n] The political struggle threw up a strong leader. [Also V n P ]

throw|away /θroʊ əwe I /


1 ADJ [ADJ n] A throwaway product is intended to be used only for a short time, and then to be thrown away. □ Now they are producing throwaway razors.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] If you say that someone makes a throwaway remark or gesture, you mean that they make it in a casual way, although it may be important, or have some serious or humorous effect. □ …a throwaway remark she later regretted.

throw|back /θroʊ bæk/ (throwbacks ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say that something is a throwback to a former time, you mean that it is like something that existed a long time ago. □ [+ to ] The hall is a throwback to another era with its old prints and stained-glass.

thro w-in (throw-ins ) N‑COUNT When there is a throw-in in a football or rugby match, the ball is thrown back onto the field after it has been kicked off it.

thrown /θroʊ n/ Thrown is the past participle of throw .

thru' also thru Thru' is sometimes used a written abbreviation for through . [mainly AM ]

thrum /θrʌ m/ (thrums , thrumming , thrummed ) VERB When something such as a machine or engine thrums , it makes a low beating sound. □ [V ] The air-conditioner thrummed. ● N‑COUNT Thrum is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …the thrum of refrigeration motors. □ My head was going thrum thrum thrum.

thrush /θrʌ ʃ/ (thrushes )


1 N‑COUNT A thrush is a fairly small bird with a brown back and a spotted breast.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Thrush is a medical condition caused by a fungus. It most often occurs in a baby's mouth or in a woman's vagina.

thrust /θrʌ st/ (thrusts , thrusting , thrust )


1 VERB If you thrust something or someone somewhere, you push or move them there quickly with a lot of force. □ [V n prep/adv] They thrust him into the back of a jeep. ● N‑COUNT Thrust is also a noun. □ Two of the knife thrusts were fatal.


2 VERB If you thrust your way somewhere, you move there, pushing between people or things which are in your way. □ [V n prep/adv] She thrust her way into the crowd.


3 VERB If something thrusts up or out of something else, it sticks up or sticks out in a noticeable way. [LITERARY ] □ [V adv/prep] An aerial thrust up from the grass verge. □ [V adv/prep] A ray of sunlight thrust out through the clouds.


4 N‑UNCOUNT Thrust is the power or force that is required to make a vehicle move in a particular direction. □ It provides the thrust that makes the craft move forward.


5 N‑SING [adj N ] The thrust of an activity or of an idea is the main or essential things it expresses. □ [+ of ] The main thrust of the research will be the study of the early Universe and galaxy formation.


6 cut and thrust → see cut


▸ thrust upon PHRASAL VERB [usu passive] If something is thrust upon you, you are forced to have it, deal with it, or experience it. □ [be V -ed P ] Why has such sadness been thrust upon us? □ [have n V -ed P n] Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.

thru|way /θruː we I / (thruways ) also throughway N‑COUNT A thruway is a wide road that is specially designed so that a lot of traffic can move along it very quickly. It is usually divided along the middle, so that traffic travelling in one direction is separated from the traffic travelling in the opposite direction. [AM ]

Thu. → see Thurs.

thud /θʌ d/ (thuds , thudding , thudded )


1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A thud is a dull sound, such as that which a heavy object makes when it hits something soft. □ She tripped and fell with a sickening thud.


2 VERB If something thuds somewhere, it makes a dull sound, usually when it falls onto or hits something else. □ [V prep/adv] She ran up the stairs, her bare feet thudding on the wood. □ [V -ing] There was a heavy thudding noise against the bedroom door. [Also V ] ● thud|ding N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the thudding of the bombs beyond the hotel.


3 VERB When your heart thuds , it beats strongly and rather quickly, for example because you are very frightened or very happy. □ [V ] My heart had started to thud, and my mouth was dry.

thug /θʌ g/ (thugs ) N‑COUNT You can refer to a violent person or criminal as a thug . [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the cowardly thugs who mug old people.

thug|gery /θʌ gəri/ N‑UNCOUNT Thuggery is rough, violent behaviour.

thug|gish /θʌ g I ʃ/ ADJ If you describe a person or their behaviour as thuggish , you mean they behave in a violent, rough, or threatening way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The owner of the stall, a large, thuggish man, grabbed Dai by the collar.

thumb /θʌ m/ (thumbs , thumbing , thumbed )


1 N‑COUNT Your thumb is the short thick part on the side of your hand next to your four fingers. □ She bit the tip of her left thumb, not looking at me.


2 VERB If you thumb a lift or thumb a ride, you stand by the side of the road holding out your thumb until a driver stops and gives you a lift. □ [V n + to ] It may interest you to know that a boy answering Rory's description thumbed a ride to Howth. □ [V n] Thumbing a lift had once a carefree, easy-going image.


3 → see also well-thumbed


4 PHRASE If you say that someone or something sticks out like a sore thumb or stands out like a sore thumb , you are emphasizing that they are very noticeable, usually because they are unusual or inappropriate. [EMPHASIS ] □ Does the new housing stick out like a sore thumb or blend into its surroundings?


5 PHRASE If you say that someone is twiddling their thumbs , you mean that they do not have anything to do and are waiting for something to happen. □ The prospect of waiting around just twiddling his thumbs was appalling.


6 PHRASE If you are under someone's thumb , you are under their control, or very heavily influenced by them. □ I cannot tell you what pain I feel when I see how much my mother is under my father's thumb.


7 green thumb → see green


8 to thumb your nose at someone → see nose


9 rule of thumb → see rule


▸ thumb through PHRASAL VERB If you thumb through something such as a book or magazine, you turn the pages quickly rather than reading each page carefully. □ [V P n] He had the drawer open and was thumbing through the files.

thumb|nail /θʌ mne I l/ (thumbnails ) also thumb-nail


1 N‑COUNT Your thumbnail is the nail on your thumb.


2 ADJ [ADJ n] A thumbnail sketch or account is a very short description of an event, idea, or plan which gives only the main details.

thumb|print /θʌ mpr I nt/ (thumbprints ) also thumb print


1 N‑COUNT A thumbprint is a mark made by a person's thumb which shows the pattern of lines on its surface.


2 N‑COUNT If you say that something such as a project has someone's thumbprint on it, you mean that it has features that make it obvious that they have been involved with it. □ It's got your thumbprint all over it.

thumb|screw /θʌ mskruː/ (thumbscrews ) also thumb screw


1 N‑COUNT A thumbscrew is an object that was used in the past to torture people by crushing their thumbs.


2 N‑COUNT If someone puts the thumbscrews on you, they start to put you under extreme pressure in order to force you to do something.

thu mbs-do wn also thumbs down N‑SING If you say that someone gives a plan, idea, or suggestion the thumbs-down , you are indicating that they do not approve of it and refuse to accept it. [INFORMAL ]

thu mbs-u p also thumbs up


1 N‑SING A thumbs-up or a thumbs-up sign is a sign that you make by raising your thumb to show that you agree with someone, that you are happy with an idea or situation, or that everything is all right. □ She checked the hall, then gave the others a thumbs-up sign.


2 N‑SING If you give a plan, idea, or suggestion the thumbs-up , you indicate that you approve of it and are willing to accept it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ to ] The financial markets have given the thumbs up to the new policy.

thumb|tack /θʌ mtæk/ (thumbtacks ) N‑COUNT A thumbtack is a short pin with a broad flat top which is used for fastening papers or pictures to a board, wall, or other surface. [AM ] in BRIT, use drawing pin

thump /θʌ mp/ (thumps , thumping , thumped )


1 VERB If you thump something, you hit it hard, usually with your fist. □ [V n] He thumped my shoulder affectionately, nearly knocking me over. □ [V + on ] I heard you thumping on the door. ● N‑COUNT Thump is also a noun. □ [+ on ] He felt a thump on his shoulder.


2 VERB If you thump someone, you attack them and hit them with your fist. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Don't say it serves me right or I'll thump you.


3 VERB If you thump something somewhere or if it thumps there, it makes a loud, dull sound by hitting something else. □ [V n prep] She thumped her hand on the witness box. □ [V n with adv] Waiters went scurrying down the aisles, thumping down tureens of soup. □ [V prep/adv] …paving stones and bricks which have been thumping down on police shields and helmets. ● N‑COUNT Thump is also a noun. □ There was a loud thump as the horse crashed into the van.


4 VERB When your heart thumps , it beats strongly and quickly, usually because you are afraid or excited. □ [V ] My heart was thumping wildly but I didn't let my face show any emotion.


5 → see also thumping

thump|ing /θʌ mp I ŋ/


1 ADJ [ADJ n] Thumping is used to emphasize that something is very great or severe. [BRIT , INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ The Right has a thumping majority.


2 → see also thump

thun|der /θʌ ndə r / (thunders , thundering , thundered )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Thunder is the loud noise that you hear from the sky after a flash of lightning, especially during a storm. □ …a distant clap of thunder.


2 VERB When it thunders , a loud noise comes from the sky after a flash of lightning. □ [V ] The day was heavy and still. It would probably thunder later.


3 N‑UNCOUNT The thunder of something that is moving or making a sound is the loud deep noise it makes. □ [+ of ] The thunder of the sea on the rocks seemed to blank out other thoughts.


4 VERB If something or someone thunders somewhere, they move there quickly and with a lot of noise. □ [V prep/adv] A lorry thundered by.


5 VERB If something thunders , it makes a very loud noise, usually continuously. □ [V ] She heard the sound of the guns thundering in the fog. □ [V -ing] …thundering applause.


6 VERB If you thunder something, you say it loudly and forcefully, especially because you are angry. [WRITTEN ] □ [V with quote] 'It's your money. Ask for it!' she thundered. □ [V n] The Prosecutor looked toward Napoleon, waiting for him to thunder an objection.


7 PHRASE If you steal someone's thunder , you get the attention or praise that they thought they would get, usually by saying or doing what they had intended to say or do. □ He had no intention of letting the Foreign Secretary steal any of his thunder.

thunder|bolt /θʌ ndə r boʊlt/ (thunderbolts ) N‑COUNT A thunderbolt is a flash of lightning, accompanied by thunder, which strikes something such as a building or a tree.

thunder|clap /θʌ ndə r klæp/ (thunderclaps ) N‑COUNT A thunderclap is a short loud noise that you hear in the sky just after you see a flash of lightning.

thunder|cloud /θʌ ndə r klaʊd/ (thunderclouds ) N‑COUNT A thundercloud is a large dark cloud that is likely to produce thunder and lightning.

thun|der|ous /θʌ ndərəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a noise as thunderous , you mean that it is very loud and deep. □ The audience responded with thunderous applause.

thunder|storm /θʌ ndə r stɔː r m/ (thunderstorms ) N‑COUNT A thunderstorm is a storm in which there is thunder and lightning and a lot of heavy rain.

thunder|struck /θʌ ndə r strʌk/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that someone is thunderstruck , you mean that they are extremely surprised or shocked. [FORMAL ]

thun|dery /θʌ ndəri/ ADJ When the weather is thundery , there is a lot of thunder, or there are heavy clouds which make you think that there will be thunder soon. □ Heavy thundery rain fell throughout Thursday.

Thurs. also Thur. , Thu. Thurs. is a written abbreviation for Thursday .

Thurs|day /θɜː r zde I , -di/ (Thursdays ) N‑VAR Thursday is the day after Wednesday and before Friday. □ On Thursday Barrett invited me for a drink. □ The local elections will be held this Thursday. □ I'm always terribly busy on Thursdays. □ We go and do the weekly shopping every Thursday morning.

thus ◆◆◇ /ðʌ s/


1 ADV You use thus to show that what you are about to mention is the result or consequence of something else that you have just mentioned. [FORMAL ] □ Some people will be more capable and thus better paid than others.


2 ADV [ADV with v] If you say that something is thus or happens thus you mean that it is, or happens, as you have just described or as you are just about to describe. [FORMAL ] □ He stormed four bunkers, completely destroying them. While thus engaged he was seriously wounded. SYNONYMS thus ADV 1


consequently: Relations between the two companies had, consequently, never been close.


therefore: Muscle cells need lots of fuel and therefore burn lots of calories.


so: I was an only child, and so had no experience of large families.


hence: The Socialist Party was profoundly divided and hence very weak.

thwack /θwæ k/ (thwacks ) N‑COUNT A thwack is a sound made when two solid objects hit each other hard. □ [+ of ] I listened to the thwack of the metal balls. □ Then the woodcutter let his axe fly–Thwack! Everyone heard it.

thwart /θwɔː r t/ (thwarts , thwarting , thwarted ) VERB If you thwart someone or thwart their plans, you prevent them from doing or getting what they want. □ [V n] The accounting firm deliberately destroyed documents to thwart government investigators.

thy /ða I / DET Thy is an old-fashioned, poetic, or religious word for 'your' when you are talking to one person. □ Honour thy father and thy mother.

thyme /ta I m/ N‑UNCOUNT Thyme is a type of herb used in cooking.

thy|roid /θa I rɔ I d/ (thyroids ) N‑COUNT Your thyroid or your thyroid gland is a gland in your neck that produces chemicals which control the way your body grows and functions.

thy|self /ða I se lf/ PRON Thyself is an old-fashioned, poetic, or religious word for 'yourself' when you are talking to only one person. □ Love thy neighbour as thyself.

ti|ara /tiɑː rə/ (tiaras ) N‑COUNT A tiara is a metal band shaped like half a circle and decorated with jewels which a woman of very high social rank wears on her head at formal social occasions; also used of similar ornaments that girls or women wear on their heads.

tibia /t I biə/ (tibias ) N‑COUNT Your tibia is the inner bone of the two bones in the lower part of your leg. [MEDICAL ]

tic /t I k/ (tics ) N‑COUNT If someone has a tic , a part of their face or body keeps making a small uncontrollable movement, for example because they are tired or have a nervous illness. □ …people with nervous tics.

tick /t I k/ (ticks , ticking , ticked )


1 N‑COUNT A tick is a written mark like a V: ✓. It is used to show that something is correct or has been selected or dealt with. [mainly BRIT ] □ Place a tick in the appropriate box. in AM, usually use check 2 VERB If you tick something that is written on a piece of paper, you put a tick next to it. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V n] Please tick this box if you do not wish to receive such mailings. in AM, usually use check 3 VERB When a clock or watch ticks , it makes a regular series of short sounds as it works. □ [V ] A wind-up clock ticked busily from the kitchen counter. ● PHRASAL VERB Tick away means the same as tick . □ [V P ] A grandfather clock ticked away in a corner. ● tick|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the endless ticking of clocks.


4 N‑COUNT The tick of a clock or watch is the series of short sounds it makes when it is working, or one of those sounds. □ [+ of ] He sat listening to the tick of the grandfather clock.


5 N‑COUNT You can use tick to refer to a very short period of time. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ I'll be back in a tick.


6 VERB If you talk about what makes someone tick , you are talking about the beliefs, wishes, and feelings that make them behave in the way that they do. [INFORMAL ] □ [V ] He wanted to find out what made them tick.


7 N‑COUNT A tick is a small creature which lives on the bodies of people or animals and uses their blood as food. □ …chemicals that destroy ticks and mites.


▸ tick away or tick by , tick on PHRASAL VERB If you say that the clock or time is ticking away , ticking by , or ticking on , you mean that time is passing, especially when there is something that needs to be done or when you are waiting for something to happen. □ [V P ] The clock ticks away, leaving little time for talks.


▸ tick by → see tick away


▸ tick off


1 PHRASAL VERB If you tick off items on a list, you write a tick or other mark next to them, in order to show that they have been dealt with. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V P n] He ticked off my name on a piece of paper. □ [V n P ] Tick it off in the box. in AM, usually use check off 2 PHRASAL VERB If you tick someone off , you speak angrily to them because they have done something wrong. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] His mum ticked him off at home. □ [V n P + for ] Abdel felt free to tick him off for smoking too much. □ [V P n + for ] Traffic police ticked off a pensioner for jumping a red light. [Also V P n]


3 → see also ticking off


4 PHRASAL VERB If you say that something ticks you off , you mean that it annoys you. [AM , INFORMAL ] □ [V n P ] I just think it's rude and it's ticking me off. □ [V -ed P + at ] She's still ticked off at him for brushing her off and going out with you instead.


▸ tick on → see tick away


▸ tick over


1 PHRASAL VERB If an engine is ticking over , it is running at a low speed or rate, for example when it is switched on but you are not actually using it. [BRIT ] □ [V P ] Very slowly he moved forward, the engine ticking over.


2 PHRASAL VERB If a person, system, or business is ticking over , they are working steadily, but not producing very much or making much progress. [BRIT ] □ [V P ] The market is at least ticking over.

ti ck box (tick boxes ) N‑COUNT A tick box is a small square on a form, questionnaire, or test in which you put a tick to show that you agree with a statement.

tick|er /t I kə r / (tickers ) N‑COUNT Your ticker is your heart. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ]

ti ck|er tape N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Ticker tape consists of long narrow strips of paper on which information such as stock exchange prices is printed by a machine. In American cities, people sometimes throw ticker tape from high windows as a way of celebrating and honouring someone in public. □ A half million people watched the troops march in New York's ticker tape parade.

tick|et ◆◆◇ /t I k I t/ (tickets )


1 N‑COUNT [oft by N ] A ticket is a small, official piece of paper or card which shows that you have paid to enter a place such as a theatre or a sports ground, or shows that you have paid for a journey. □ I queued for two hours to get a ticket to see the football game. □ [+ for ] I love opera and last year I got tickets for Covent Garden. □ Entrance is free, but by ticket only.


2 N‑COUNT A ticket is an official piece of paper which orders you to pay a fine or to appear in court because you have committed a driving or parking offence. □ I want to know at what point I break the speed limit and get a ticket.


3 N‑COUNT [usu n N ] A ticket for a game of chance such as a raffle or a lottery is a piece of paper with a number on it. If the number on your ticket matches the number chosen, you win a prize. □ She bought a lottery ticket and won more than $33 million.


4 N‑SING The particular ticket on which a person fights an election is the party they represent or the policies they support. [BRIT ] □ He first ran for president on a far-left ticket.


5 N‑COUNT [usu ADJ n] A ticket is the list of candidates who are representing a particular political party or group in an election. [AM ] □ He plans to remain on the Republican ticket for the November election.


6 PHRASE If you say that something is just the ticket , you mean that it is exactly what is needed. [INFORMAL ] □ Young kids need all the energy and protein they can get and whole milk is just the ticket.


7 → see also big-ticket , dream ticket , meal ticket , parking ticket , season ticket , ticketing

tick|et|ing /t I k I t I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Ticketing is the act or activity of selling tickets. □ …automatic ticketing machines.

ti ck|ing o ff (tickings off ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you give someone a ticking off , you speak angrily to them because they have done something wrong. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ [+ from ] They got a ticking off from the police.

tick|le /t I k ə l/ (tickles , tickling , tickled )


1 VERB When you tickle someone, you move your fingers lightly over a sensitive part of their body, often in order to make them laugh. □ [V n] I was tickling him, and he was laughing and giggling.


2 VERB If something tickles you or tickles , it causes an irritating feeling by lightly touching a part of your body. □ [V n] …a yellow hat with a great feather that tickled her ear. □ [V ] A beard doesn't scratch, it just tickles.


3 VERB If a fact or a situation tickles you, it amuses you or gives you pleasure. □ [V n to-inf] It tickles me to see him riled. □ [V n] The story was really funny–it tickled me. ● tick|led ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] □ They all sounded just as tickled.

tick|lish /t I kəl I ʃ/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A ticklish problem, situation, or task is difficult and needs to be dealt with carefully. □ So car makers are faced with the ticklish problem of how to project products at new buyers.


2 ADJ Someone who is ticklish is sensitive to being tickled, and laughs as soon as you tickle them. □ This massage method is not recommended for anyone who is very ticklish.

tid|al /ta I d ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Tidal means relating to or produced by tides. □ The tidal stream or current gradually decreases in the shallows.

ti d|al wave (tidal waves )


1 N‑COUNT A tidal wave is a very large wave, often caused by an earthquake, that flows onto the land and destroys things. □ …a massive tidal wave swept the ship up and away.


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a very large number of emotions, things, or people as a tidal wave , you mean that they all occur at the same time. □ [+ of ] The trade union movement was swept along by a tidal wave of patriotism.

tid|bit /t I db I t/ → see titbit

tid|dler /t I dlə r / (tiddlers )


1 N‑COUNT A tiddler is a very small fish of any kind. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]


2 N‑COUNT If you refer to a person or thing as a tiddler , you mean that they are very unimportant or small, especially when compared to other people or things of the same type. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ On a world scale, the earthquake was a tiddler.

tid|dly /t I dəli/


1 ADJ If someone is tiddly , they are slightly drunk. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]


2 ADJ If you describe a thing as tiddly , you mean that it is very small. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ …a tiddly picture.

tiddly|wink /t I dəliw I ŋk/ (tiddlywinks )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Tiddlywinks is a game in which the players try to make small round pieces of plastic jump into a container, by pressing their edges with a larger piece of plastic.


2 N‑COUNT Tiddlywinks are the small round piece of plastic used in the game of tiddlywinks.

tide ◆◇◇ /ta I d/ (tides , tiding , tided )


1 N‑COUNT The tide is the regular change in the level of the sea on the shore. □ The tide was at its highest. □ The tide was going out, and the sand was smooth and glittering.


2 N‑COUNT A tide is a current in the sea that is caused by the regular and continuous movement of large areas of water towards and away from the shore. □ Roman vessels used to sail with the tide from Boulogne to Richborough.


3 N‑SING The tide of opinion, for example, is what the majority of people think at a particular time. □ [+ of ] The tide of opinion seems overwhelmingly in his favour.


4 N‑SING People sometimes refer to events or forces that are difficult or impossible to control as the tide of history, for example. □ [+ of ] They talked of reversing the tide of history.


5 N‑SING You can talk about a tide of something, especially something which is unpleasant, when there is a large and increasing amount of it. □ [+ of ] …an ever increasing tide of crime.


6 → see also high tide , low tide


▸ tide over PHRASAL VERB If you do something for someone to tide them over , you help them through a period when they are having difficulties, especially by lending them money. □ [V n P ] He wanted money to tide him over. □ [V P n] The banks were prepared to put up 50 million euros to tide over the company. SYNONYMS tide NOUN 2


current: The couple were swept away by the strong current.


flow: It works only in the veins, where the blood flow is slower.

tid|ings /ta I d I ŋz/ N‑PLURAL [usu adj N ] You can use tidings to refer to news that someone tells you. [FORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ He hated always to be the bearer of bad tidings. [Also + of ]

tidy /ta I di/ (tidier , tidiest , tidies , tidying , tidied )


1 ADJ Something that is tidy is neat and is arranged in an organized way. □ Having a tidy desk can seem impossible if you have a busy, demanding job. ● tidi|ly /ta I d I li/ ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ …books and magazines stacked tidily on shelves. ● tidi|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Employees are expected to maintain a high standard of tidiness in their dress and appearance.


2 ADJ Someone who is tidy likes everything to be neat and arranged in an organized way. □ She's obsessively tidy, always hoovering and polishing. ● tidi|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ I'm very impressed by your tidiness and order.


3 VERB When you tidy a place such as a room or cupboard, you make it neat by putting things in their proper places. □ [V n] She made her bed, and tidied her room.


4 ADJ [ADJ n] A tidy amount of money is a large amount. [INFORMAL ] □ The opportunities are there to make a tidy profit.


▸ tidy away PHRASAL VERB When you tidy something away , you put it in something else so that it is not in the way. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V n P ] The large log basket can be used to tidy toys away. □ [V P n] When they'd gone, McMinn tidied away the glasses and tea-cups.


▸ tidy up PHRASAL VERB When you tidy up or tidy a place up , you put things back in their proper places so that everything is neat. □ [V n P ] I really must start tidying the place up. □ [V P ] He tried to tidy up, not wanting the maid to see the disarray. □ [V P n] Anne made the beds and tidied up the nursery.

tie ◆◆◇ /ta I / (ties , tying , tied )


1 VERB If you tie two things together or tie them, you fasten them together with a knot. □ [V n adv/prep] He tied the ends of the plastic bag together. □ [V n] Mr Saunders tied her hands and feet.


2 VERB If you tie something or someone in a particular place or position, you put them there and fasten them using rope or string. □ [V n + to ] He had tied the dog to one of the trees near the canal. □ [V n prep/adv] He tied her hands behind her back.


3 VERB If you tie a piece of string or cloth around something or tie something with a piece of string or cloth, you put the piece of string or cloth around it and fasten the ends together. □ [V n prep/adv] She tied her scarf over her head. □ [V n + with ] Roll the meat and tie it with string. □ [V -ed + with ] Dad handed me a big box wrapped in gold foil and tied with a red ribbon.


4 VERB If you tie a knot or bow in something or tie something in a knot or bow, you fasten the ends together. □ [V n] He took a short length of rope and swiftly tied a slip knot. □ [V n + in ] She tied a knot in her scarf. □ [V -ed] She wore a checked shirt tied in a knot above the navel.


5 VERB When you tie something or when something ties , you close or fasten it using a bow or knot. □ [V n] He pulled on his heavy suede shoes and tied the laces. □ [V ] …a long white thing around his neck that tied in front in a floppy bow.


6 N‑COUNT A tie is a long narrow piece of cloth that is worn round the neck under a shirt collar and tied in a knot at the front. Ties are worn mainly by men. □ Jason had taken off his jacket and loosened his tie.


7 VERB [usu passive] If one thing is tied to another or two things are tied , the two things have a close connection or link. □ [be V -ed + to ] Their cancers are not so clearly tied to radiation exposure. □ [be V -ed] My social life and business life are closely tied.


8 VERB [usu passive] If you are tied to a particular place or situation, you are forced to accept it and cannot change it. □ [be V -ed + to ] They had children and were consequently tied to the school holidays.


9 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Ties are the connections you have with people or a place. □ [+ to ] Quebec has always had particularly close ties to France.


10 N‑COUNT Railroad ties are large heavy beams that support the rails of a railway track. [AM ] in BRIT, use sleepers 11 VERB If two people tie in a competition or game or if they tie with each other, they have the same number of points or the same degree of success. □ [V ] Both teams had tied on points and goal difference. □ [V + with ] We tied with Spain in fifth place. ● N‑COUNT Tie is also a noun. □ The first game ended in a tie.


12 N‑COUNT In sport, a tie is a match that is part of a competition. The losers leave the competition and the winners go on to the next round. [mainly BRIT ] □ They'll meet the winners of the first round tie.


13 → see also black tie , bow tie , old school tie , tied


14 your hands are tied → see hand ➊


15 to tie the knot → see knot


16 to tie yourself in knots → see knot


▸ tie down PHRASAL VERB A person or thing that ties you down restricts your freedom in some way. □ [V n P ] We'd agreed from the beginning not to tie each other down. □ [be V -ed P ] The reason he didn't have a family was that he didn't want to be tied down.


▸ tie in with or tie up with PHRASAL VERB If something such as an idea or fact ties in with or ties up with something else, it is consistent with it or connected with it. □ [V P P n] Our wedding had to tie in with David leaving the army. □ [be V -ed P P n] I've got a feeling that the death may be tied up with his visit in some way.


▸ tie up


1 PHRASAL VERB When you tie something up , you fasten string or rope round it so that it is firm or secure. □ [V P n] He tied up the bag and took it outside. [Also V n P ]


2 PHRASAL VERB If someone ties another person up , they fasten ropes or chains around them so that they cannot move or escape. □ [V n P ] Masked robbers broke in, tied him up, and made off with $8,000. □ [V P n] At about 5 a.m. they struck again in Fetcham, tying up a couple and ransacking their house.


3 PHRASAL VERB If you tie an animal up , you fasten it to a fixed object with a piece of rope so that it cannot run away. □ [V n P ] Would you go and tie your horse up please. □ [V P n] They dismounted, tied up their horses and gave them the grain they had brought.


4 PHRASAL VERB If you tie up an issue or problem, you deal with it in a way that gives definite conclusions or answers. □ [V P n] Kingfisher confirmed that it hopes to tie up a deal within the next two weeks. □ [V n P ] We could have tied the whole case up without getting you and Smith shot at.


5 → see also tied up , tie-up


▸ tie up with → see tie in with

tie -break (tie-breaks ) N‑COUNT A tie-break is an extra game which is played in a tennis match when the score in a set is 6-6. The player who wins the tie-break wins the set. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use tie-breaker

tie -breaker (tie-breakers ) N‑COUNT A tie-breaker is an extra question or round that decides the winner of a competition or game when two or more people have the same score at the end.

tied /ta I d/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A tied cottage or house belongs to a farmer or other employer and is rented to someone who works for him or her. [BRIT ] □ He lives with his family in a tied cottage in Hamsey.


2 → see also tie

tie d u p ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If someone or something is tied up , they are busy or being used, with the result that they are not available for anything else. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ with ] He's tied up with his new book. He's working hard, you know. [Also + in ]

tie -dye (tie-dyes , tie-dyeing , tie-dyed )


1 VERB [usu passive] If a piece of cloth or a garment is tie-dyed , it is tied in knots and then put into dye, so that some parts become more deeply coloured than others. □ [be V -ed] He wore a T-shirt that had been tie-dyed in bright colours. □ [V -ed] I bought a great tie-dyed silk scarf.


2 N‑VAR [usu N n] A tie-dye is a garment or piece of cloth that has been tie-dyed. □ They wore tie-dyes and ponchos. □ …a hideous tie-dye shirt.

tie -pin (tie-pins ) also tiepin N‑COUNT A tie-pin is a thin narrow object with a pin on it which is used to pin a person's tie to their shirt.

tier /t I ə r / (tiers )


1 N‑COUNT A tier is a row or layer of something that has other layers above or below it. □ [+ of ] …the auditorium with the tiers of seats around and above it. ● COMB Tier is also a combining form. □ …a three-tier wedding cake.


2 N‑COUNT A tier is a level in an organization or system. □ [+ of ] Islanders have campaigned for the abolition of one of the three tiers of municipal power. ● COMB Tier is also a combining form. □ …the possibility of a two-tier system of universities.

tie -up (tie-ups )


1 N‑COUNT A tie-up or a traffic tie-up is a long line of vehicles that cannot move forward because there is too much traffic, or because the road is blocked by something. [AM ] □ In some cities this morning, there were traffic tie-ups up to 40 miles long. in BRIT, use traffic jam 2 N‑COUNT A tie-up between two organizations is a business connection that has been arranged between them. □ [+ between ] …tie-ups between big media companies and telecommunications operators. [Also + with ]

tiff /t I f/ (tiffs ) N‑COUNT A tiff is a small unimportant quarrel, especially between two close friends or between people in a romantic relationship.

ti|ger /ta I gə r / (tigers )


1 N‑COUNT A tiger is a large fierce animal belonging to the cat family. Tigers are orange with black stripes.


2 → see also paper tiger

tight ◆◇◇ /ta I t/ (tighter , tightest )


1 ADJ Tight clothes or shoes are rather small and fit closely to your body. □ His jeans were too tight. ● tight|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He buttoned his collar tightly round his thick neck.


2 ADV [ADV after v] If you hold someone or something tight , you hold them firmly and securely. □ She just fell into my arms, clutching me tight for a moment. □ Hold on tight! ● ADJ [usu ADJ n] Tight is also an adjective. □ As he and Henrietta passed through the gate he kept a tight hold of her arm. ● tight|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ She climbed back into bed and wrapped her arms tightly round her body.


3 ADJ Tight controls or rules are very strict. □ The measures include tight control of media coverage. □ Security is tight this week at the polling sites. ● tight|ly ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ The internal media was tightly controlled by the government during the war.


4 ADV [ADV -ed, ADV after v] Something that is shut tight is shut very firmly. □ I keep the flour and sugar in individual jars, sealed tight with their glass lids. □ She kept her eyes tight closed. ● tight|ly ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ Pemberton frowned and closed his eyes tightly.


5 ADJ Skin, cloth, or string that is tight is stretched or pulled so that it is smooth or straight. □ My skin feels tight and lacking in moisture. ● tight|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Her sallow skin was drawn tightly across the bones of her face.


6 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Tight is used to describe a group of things or an amount of something that is closely packed together. □ She curled up in a tight ball, with her knees tucked up at her chin. □ The men came in a tight group. ● ADV Tight is also an adverb. □ The people sleep on sun loungers packed tight, end to end. ● tight|ly ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ Many animals travel in tightly packed lorries and are deprived of food, water and rest.


7 ADJ If a part of your body is tight , it feels rather uncomfortable and painful, for example because you are ill, anxious, or angry. □ It is better to stretch the tight muscles first. ● tight|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Heart disease often shows itself first as pain or tightness in the chest.


8 ADJ A tight group of people is one whose members are closely linked by beliefs, feelings, or interests. □ We're a tight group, so we do keep in touch.


9 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A tight bend or corner is one that changes direction very quickly so that you cannot see very far round it. □ They collided on a tight bend and both cars were extensively damaged.


10 ADJ A tight schedule or budget allows very little time or money for unexpected events or expenses. □ It's difficult to cram everything into a tight schedule. □ Financially things are a bit tight.


11 ADJ A tight contest is one where none of the competitors has a clear advantage or looks likely to win, so that it is difficult to say who the winner will be. □ It was a very tight match.


12 ADJ If you say that someone is tight , you disapprove of them because they are unwilling to spend their money. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ The theatre was too tight to pay for any champagne for its stars.


13 → see also airtight , skin-tight


14 PHRASE If you are in a tight corner or in a tight spot , you are in a difficult situation. [INFORMAL ] □ That puts the president in a tight spot if the vote is not a resounding 'yes'.


15 CONVENTION You can say ' sleep tight ' to someone when they are going to bed as an affectionate way of saying that you hope they will sleep well. □ Good night, Davey. Sleep tight.


16 to keep a tight rein on → see rein


17 to sit tight → see sit

tight|en /ta I t ə n/ (tightens , tightening , tightened )


1 VERB If you tighten your grip on something, or if your grip tightens , you hold the thing more firmly or securely. □ [V n] Luke answered by tightening his grip on her shoulder. □ [V prep] Her arms tightened about his neck in gratitude. □ [V ] Stefano's grip tightened and his tone became colder.


2 VERB If you tighten a rope or chain, or if it tightens , it is stretched or pulled hard until it is straight. □ [V n] The anchorman flung his whole weight back, tightening the rope. □ [V ] The cables tightened and he was lifted gradually from the deck.


3 VERB If a government or organization tightens its grip on a group of people or an activity, or if its grip tightens , it begins to have more control over it. □ [V n] He plans to tighten his grip on the machinery of central government. □ [V ] As the regime's grip on the mainland tightened, hundreds of thousands of people fled.


4 VERB When you tighten a screw, nut, or other device, you turn it or move it so that it is more firmly in place or holds something more firmly. □ [V n] I used my thumbnail to tighten the screw on my lamp. ● PHRASAL VERB Tighten up means the same as tighten . □ [V P n] It's important to tighten up the wheels properly, otherwise they vibrate loose and fall off. [Also V n P ]


5 VERB If a part of your body tightens , the muscles in it become tense and stiff, for example because you are angry or afraid. □ [V ] Sofia's throat had tightened and she couldn't speak. ● tight|en|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …a headache caused by tension which results in tightening of the muscles in the neck.


6 VERB If someone in authority tightens a rule, a policy, or a system, they make it stricter or more efficient. □ [V n] The Government plans to tighten the economic sanctions currently in place. □ [be V -ed] Take-off and landing procedures have been tightened after two jets narrowly escaped disaster. ● PHRASAL VERB Tighten up means the same as tighten . □ [V P n] Until this week, every attempt to tighten up the law had failed. □ [V P + on ] He accused ministers of breaking election pledges to tighten up on immigration. [Also V n P ] ● tight|en|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the tightening of state control over press and broadcasting.


7 to tighten your belt → see belt


8 to tighten the screw → see screw


▸ tighten up


1 PHRASAL VERB If a group, team, or organization tightens up , they make an effort to control what they are doing more closely, in order to become more efficient and successful. □ [V P ] I want us to be a bit more sensible this time and tighten up.


2 → see also tighten 4 , tighten 6

ti ght-fi sted ADJ If you describe someone as tight-fisted , you disapprove of them because they are unwilling to spend money. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He had the reputation of being one of the most tight-fisted and demanding of employers.

ti ght-li pped


1 ADJ If you describe someone as tight-lipped , you mean that they are unwilling to give any information about something. □ [+ about ] She's always been famously tight-lipped about her love life.


2 ADJ Someone who is tight-lipped has their lips pressed tightly together, especially because they are angry or disapproving. □ He was sitting at the other end of the table, tight-lipped and angry.

tight|rope /ta I troʊp/ (tightropes )


1 N‑COUNT A tightrope is a tightly stretched piece of rope on which someone balances and performs tricks in a circus.


2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] You can use tightrope in expressions such as walk a tightrope and live on a tightrope to indicate that someone is in a difficult situation and has to be very careful about what they say or do. □ They're walking a tightrope between being overprotective and not caring enough.

tights /ta I ts/


1 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Tights are a piece of clothing, usually worn by women and girls. They are usually made of nylon and cover the hips, legs, and feet. [BRIT ] □ …a new pair of tights. in AM, use pantyhose 2 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Tights are a piece of tight clothing, usually worn by dancers, acrobats, or people in exercise classes, and covering the hips and each leg.

ti|gress /ta I gr I s/ (tigresses ) N‑COUNT A tigress is a female tiger .

til|de /t I ldə/ (tildes ) N‑COUNT A tilde is a symbol that is written over the letter 'n' in Spanish (ñ) and the letters 'o' (õ) and 'a' (ã) in Portuguese to indicate the way in which they should be pronounced.

tile /ta I l/ (tiles , tiling , tiled )


1 N‑VAR Tiles are flat, square pieces of baked clay, carpet, cork, or other substance, which are fixed as a covering onto a floor or wall. □ Amy's shoes squeaked on the tiles as she walked down the corridor. □ The cabins had linoleum tile floors.


2 N‑VAR Tiles are flat pieces of baked clay which are used for covering roofs. □ …a fine building, with a neat little porch and ornamental tiles on the roof.


3 VERB When someone tiles a surface such as a roof or floor, they cover it with tiles. □ [V n] He wants to tile the bathroom.


4 → see also tiling

til|ing /ta I l I ŋ/


1 N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to a surface that is covered by tiles as tiling . □ The kitchen has smart black tiling, worksurfaces and cupboards.


2 → see also tile

till ◆◇◇ /t I l/ (tills )


1 PREP In spoken English and informal written English, till is often used instead of until . □ They had to wait till Monday to ring the bank manager. □ I've survived till now, and will go on doing so without help from you. ● CONJ Till is also a conjunction. □ They slept till the alarm bleeper woke them at four.


2 N‑COUNT In a shop or other place of business, a till is a counter or cash register where money is kept, and where customers pay for what they have bought. [BRIT ] □ …long queues at tills that make customers angry. in AM, use cash register 3 N‑COUNT A till is the drawer of a cash register, in which the money is kept. [AM ] □ He checked the register. There was money in the till.

till|er /t I lə r / (tillers ) N‑COUNT The tiller of a boat is a handle that is fixed to the rudder. It is used to turn the rudder, which then steers the boat.

tilt /t I lt/ (tilts , tilting , tilted )


1 VERB If you tilt an object or if it tilts , it moves into a sloping position with one end or side higher than the other. □ [V n] She tilted the mirror and began to comb her hair. □ [V n adv/prep] Leonard tilted his chair back on two legs and stretched his long body. □ [V ] The boat instantly tilted, filled and sank. [Also V adv/prep]


2 VERB If you tilt part of your body, usually your head, you move it slightly upwards or to one side. □ [V n with adv] Mari tilted her head back so that she could look at him. □ [V n prep] The nurse tilted his head to the side and inspected the wound. □ [V n] She tilted her face to kiss me quickly on the chin. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Tilt is also a noun. □ [+ of ] He opened the rear door for me with an apologetic tilt of his head.


3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] The tilt of something is the fact that it tilts or slopes, or the angle at which it tilts or slopes. □ [+ of ] …calculations based on our understanding of the tilt of the Earth's axis. □ The 3-metre-square slabs are on a tilt.


4 VERB If a person or thing tilts towards a particular opinion or if something tilts them towards it, they change slightly so that they become more in agreement with that opinion or position. □ [V prep/adv] When the political climate tilted towards fundamentalism, he was threatened. □ [V n prep/adv] The paper has done much to tilt American public opinion in favour of intervention.


5 N‑SING If there is a tilt towards a particular opinion or position, that opinion or position is favoured or begins to be favoured. □ [+ towards ] The chairman criticised the plan for its tilt towards higher taxes rather than lower spending.


6 N‑COUNT A tilt at something is an attempt to win or obtain it. [JOURNALISM ] □ [+ at ] His first tilt at Parliament came in the same year but he failed to win the seat.


7 PHRASE To move full tilt or at full tilt means to move with as much speed, energy, or force as possible. □ As John approached at full tilt, he saw a queue of traffic blocking the road.

ti lt|ing trai n (tilting trains ) N‑COUNT A tilting train is a type of train that can travel faster than ordinary trains because it tilts when the track curves.

tim|ber /t I mbə r / N‑UNCOUNT Timber is wood that is used for building houses and making furniture. You can also refer to trees that are grown for this purpose as timber . □ These Severn Valley woods have been exploited for timber since Saxon times.

tim|bered /t I mbə r d/


1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A timbered building has a wooden frame or wooden beams showing on the outside.


2 → see also half-timbered

ti m|ber yard (timber yards ) N‑COUNT A timber yard is a place where timber is stored and sold. [BRIT ] in AM, use lumberyard

tim|bre /tæ mbə r / (timbres ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The timbre of someone's voice or of a musical instrument is the particular quality of sound that it has. [FORMAL ] □ His voice had a deep timbre. □ [+ of ] The timbre of the violin is far richer than that of the mouth organ.

time ◆◆◆ /ta I m/ (times , timing , timed )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Time is what we measure in minutes, hours, days, and years. □ …a two-week period of time. □ Time passed, and still Ma did not appear. □ The social significance of religion has changed over time.


2 N‑SING [wh/the N ] You use time to ask or talk about a specific point in the day, which can be stated in hours and minutes and is shown on clocks. □ 'What time is it?'—'Eight o'clock.' □ He asked me the time. □ What time did he leave? □ The time is now 19 minutes past the hour.


3 N‑COUNT The time when something happens is the point in the day when it happens or is supposed to happen. □ Departure times are 08:15 from St Quay, and 18:15 from St Helier.


4 → see also opening time


5 N‑UNCOUNT You use time to refer to the system of expressing time and counting hours that is used in a particular part of the world. □ The incident happened just after ten o'clock local time.


6 N‑UNCOUNT [oft a N ] You use time to refer to the period that you spend doing something or when something has been happening. □ Adam spent a lot of time in his grandfather's office. □ He wouldn't have the time or money to take care of me. □ Listen to me, I haven't got much time. □ The route was blocked for some time. □ For a long time I didn't tell anyone. □ A short time later they sat down to eat.


7 N‑SING If you say that something has been happening for a time , you mean that it has been happening for a fairly long period of time. □ He stayed for quite a time. □ After a time they came to a pond.


8 N‑COUNT [oft prep N ] You use time to refer to a period of time or a point in time, when you are describing what is happening then. For example, if something happened at a particular time , that is when it happened. If it happens at all times , it always happens. □ We were in the same college, which was male-only at that time. □ By this time he was thirty. □ It was a time of terrible uncertainty. □ Homes are more affordable than at any time in the past five years. □ It seemed like a good time to tell her.


9 N‑COUNT [usu adj N ] You use time or times to talk about a particular period in history or in your life. □ We'll be alone together, quite like old times. □ We are in one of the most severe recessions in modern times.


10 N‑PLURAL You can use the times to refer to the present time and to modern fashions, tastes, and developments. For example, if you say that someone keeps up with the times , you mean they are fashionable or aware of modern developments. If you say they are behind the times , you mean they are unfashionable or not aware of them. □ This approach is now seriously out of step with the times. □ Johnny has changed his image to fit the times.


11 N‑COUNT [adj N ] When you describe the time that you had on a particular occasion or during a particular part of your life, you are describing the sort of experience that you had then. □ Sarah and I had a great time while the kids were away. □ She's had a really tough time the last year and a half.


12 N‑SING Your time is the amount of time that you have to live, or to do a particular thing. □ The hunt for a solution is on, and time is running out.


13 N‑UNCOUNT [N to-inf, N that] If you say it is time for something, time to do something, or time you did something, you mean that this thing ought to happen or be done now. □ [+ for ] Opinion polls indicated a feeling among the public that it was time for a change. □ [+ for ] It was time for him to go to work. □ This was no time to make a speech.


14 N‑COUNT When you talk about a time when something happens, you are referring to a specific occasion when it happens. □ Every time she travels on the bus, it's delayed by at least three hours. □ The last time I saw her was about sixteen years ago.


15 N‑COUNT You use time after numbers to say how often something happens. □ It was her job to make tea three times a day.


16 N‑PLURAL You use times after numbers when comparing one thing to another and saying, for example, how much bigger, smaller, better, or worse it is. □ Its profits are rising four times faster than the average company. □ …an area five times the size of Britain.


17 CONJ You use times in arithmetic to link numbers or amounts that are multiplied together to reach a total. □ Four times six is 24.


18 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's time in a race is the amount of time it takes them to finish the race. □ He was over a second faster than his previous best time. [Also + of ]


19 N‑UNCOUNT [oft in N ] The time of a piece of music is the number of beats that the piece has in each bar. □ A reel is in four-four time, and a jig is in six-eight time.


20 VERB If you time something for a particular time, you plan or decide to do it or cause it to happen at this time. □ [V n to-inf] He timed the election to coincide with new measures to boost the economy. □ [V n + for ] We had timed our visit for March 7. □ [V n adv] He had timed his intervention well. □ [V -ed to-inf] Operation Amazon is timed to coincide with the start of the dry season. [Also V n]


21 VERB If you time an action or activity, you measure how long someone takes to do it or how long it lasts. □ [V n] He timed each performance with a stop-watch.


22 → see also timing


23 PHRASE If you say it is about time that something was done, you are saying in an emphatic way that it should happen or be done now, and really should have happened or been done sooner. [EMPHASIS ] □ It's about time a few movie makers with original ideas were given a chance.


24 PHRASE If you do something ahead of time , you do it before a particular event or before you need to, in order to be well prepared. □ Find out ahead of time what regulations apply to your situation.


25 PHRASE If someone is ahead of their time or before their time , they have new ideas a long time before other people start to think in the same way. □ My mother was ahead of her time. She surrounded me with culture and art.


26 PHRASE If something happens or is done all the time , it happens or is done continually. □ We can't be together all the time.


27 PHRASE You say at a time after an amount to say how many things or how much of something is involved in one action, place, or group. □ Beat in the eggs, one at a time.


28 PHRASE If something could happen at any time , it is possible that it will happen very soon, though nobody can predict exactly when. □ Conditions are still very tense and the fighting could escalate at any time.


29 PHRASE You say at the best of times when you are making a negative or critical comment to emphasize that it is true even when the circumstances are as favourable as possible. [EMPHASIS ] □ A trade war would be bad at the best of times, but in the current climate it would be a disaster.


30 PHRASE If you say that something was the case at one time , you mean that it was the case during a particular period in the past. □ At one time 400 men, women and children lived in the village.


31 PHRASE If two or more things exist, happen, or are true at the same time , they exist, happen, or are true together although they seem to contradict each other. □ I was afraid of her, but at the same time I really liked her.


32 PHRASE At the same time is used to introduce a statement that slightly changes or contradicts the previous statement. □ I could not be seen to be weak, but at the same time I could not give signs of hostility.


33 PHRASE You use at times to say that something happens or is true on some occasions or at some moments. □ The debate was highly emotional at times.


34 PHRASE If you say that something was before your time , you mean that it happened or existed before you were born or before you were able to know about it or remember it. □ 'You've never seen the Marilyn Monroe film?'—'No, I think it was a bit before my time.'


35 PHRASE If someone has reached a particular stage in life before their time , they have reached it at a younger age than is normal. □ The small print has forced me, years before my time, to buy spectacles.


36 PHRASE If you say not before time after a statement has been made about something that has been done, you are saying in an emphatic way that you think it should have been done sooner. [BRIT , EMPHASIS ] □ The virus is getting more and more attention, and not before time.


37 PHRASE If you call time on something, you end it. [mainly BRIT , JOURNALISM ] □ [+ on ] He has called time on his international career by cutting short his contract.


38 PHRASE Someone who is doing time is in prison. [INFORMAL ] □ He is serving 11 years for robbery, and did time for a similar offence before that.


39 PHRASE If you say that something will be the case for all time , you mean that it will always be the case. □ No referendum will settle anything for all time.


40 PHRASE If something is the case or will happen for the time being , it is the case or will happen now, but only until something else becomes possible or happens. □ For the time being, however, immunotherapy is still in its experimental stages.


41 PHRASE If you do something from time to time , you do it occasionally but not regularly. □ Her daughters visited him from time to time when he was ill.


42 PHRASE If you say that something is the case half the time you mean that it often is the case. [INFORMAL ] □ Half the time, I don't have the slightest idea what he's talking about.


43 PHRASE If you say that you have no time for a person or thing, you mean you do not like them or approve of them, and if you say that you have a lot of time for a person or thing, you mean you like them or approve of them very much. □ When I think of what he's done to my mother and me, I've just got no time for him.


44 PHRASE If you say that it is high time that something happened or was done, you are saying in an emphatic way that it should happen or be done now, and really should have happened or been done sooner. [EMPHASIS ] □ It is high time the Government displayed a more humanitarian approach towards victims of the recession.


45 PHRASE If you are in time for a particular event, you are not too late for it. □ [+ for ] I arrived just in time for my flight to London.


46 PHRASE If you say that something will happen in time or given time , you mean that it will happen eventually, when a lot of time has passed. □ He would sort out his own problems, in time. □ Tina believed that, given time, her business would become profitable.


47 PHRASE If you are playing, singing, or dancing in time with a piece of music, you are following the rhythm and speed of the music correctly. If you are out of time with it, you are not following the rhythm and speed of the music correctly. □ [+ with ] Her body swayed in time with the music. □ We were standing onstage playing completely out of time.


48 PHRASE If you say that something will happen, for example, in a week 's time or in two years ' time , you mean that it will happen a week from now or two years from now. □ Presidential elections are due to be held in ten days' time.


49 PHRASE If you arrive somewhere in good time , you arrive early so that there is time to spare before a particular event. □ [+ for ] If we're out, we always make sure we're home in good time for the programme.


50 PHRASE If you tell someone that something will happen in good time or all in good time , you are telling them to be patient because it will happen eventually. □ There will be exercises that you can't do at first. You will get to them in good time.


51 PHRASE If something happens in no time or in next to no time , it happens almost immediately or very quickly. □ He expects to be out of prison in next to no time.


52 PHRASE If you do something in your own time , you do it at the speed that you choose, rather than allowing anyone to hurry you. □ Now, in your own time, tell me what happened.


53 PHRASE If you do something such as work in your own time in British English, or on your own time in American English, you do it in your free time rather than, for example, at work or school. □ If I choose to work on other projects in my own time, then I say that is my business.


54 PHRASE If you keep time when playing or singing music, you follow or play the beat, without going too fast or too slowly. □ As he sang, he kept time on a small drum.


55 PHRASE When you talk about how well a watch or clock keeps time , you are talking about how accurately it measures time. □ Some pulsars keep time better than the Earth's most accurate clocks.


56 PHRASE If you make time for a particular activity or person, you arrange to have some free time so that you can do the activity or spend time with the person. □ [+ for ] Before leaving the city, be sure to make time for a shopping trip.


57 PHRASE If you say that you made good time on a journey, you mean it did not take you very long compared to the length of time you expected it to take. □ They had left early in the morning, on quiet roads, and made good time.


58 PHRASE If someone is making up for lost time , they are doing something actively and with enthusiasm because they have not had the opportunity to do it before or when they were younger. □ Older than most officers of his rank, he was determined to make up for lost time.


59 PHRASE If you are marking time , you are doing something that is not particularly useful or interesting while you wait for something more important or interesting to happen. □ He's really just marking time until he's old enough to leave.


60 PHRASE If you say that something happens or is the case nine times out of ten or ninety-nine times out of a hundred , you mean that it happens on nearly every occasion or is almost always the case. □ When they want something, nine times out of ten they get it.


61 PHRASE If you say that someone or something is, for example, the best writer of all time , or the most successful film of all time , you mean that they are the best or most successful that there has ever been. □ 'Monopoly' is one of the best-selling games of all time.


62 PHRASE If you are on time , you are not late. □ Don't worry, she'll be on time.


63 PHRASE If you say that it is only a matter of time or only a question of time before something happens, you mean that it cannot be avoided and will definitely happen at some future date. □ It now seems only a matter of time before they resign.


64 PHRASE When you refer to our time or our times you are referring to the present period in the history of the world. □ It would be wrong to say that the Church doesn't enter the great moral debates of our time.


65 PHRASE If you do something to pass the time you do it because you have some time available and not because you really want to do it. □ Without particular interest and just to pass the time, I read a story.


66 PHRASE If you play for time , you try to make something happen more slowly, because you do not want it to happen or because you need time to think about what to do if it happens. □ The president's decision is being seen as an attempt to play for time.


67 PHRASE If you say that something will take time , you mean that it will take a long time. □ Change will come, but it will take time.


68 PHRASE If you take your time doing something, you do it quite slowly and do not hurry. □ 'Take your time,' Cross told him. 'I'm in no hurry.'


69 PHRASE If a child can tell the time , they are able to find out what the time is by looking at a clock or watch. □ My four-year-old daughter cannot quite tell the time.


70 PHRASE If something happens time after time , it happens in a similar way on many occasions. □ Burns had escaped from jail time after time.


71 PHRASE If you say that time flies , you mean that it seems to pass very quickly. □ Time flies when you're having fun.


72 PHRASE If you have the time of your life , you enjoy yourself very much indeed. □ We're taking our little grandchild away with us. We'll make sure he has the time of his life.


73 PHRASE If you say there is no time to lose or no time to be lost , you mean you must hurry as fast as you can to do something. □ He rushed home, realising there was no time to lose.


74 PHRASE If you say that time will tell whether something is true or correct, you mean that it will not be known until some time in the future whether it is true or correct. □ Only time will tell whether Broughton's optimism is justified.


75 PHRASE If you waste no time in doing something, you take the opportunity to do it immediately or quickly. □ Tom wasted no time in telling me why he had come.


76 time and again → see again


77 in the fullness of time → see fullness USAGE time


1 Time is usually an uncountable noun, so don’t use ‘a’ with it. Don’t say, for example, ‘ I haven’t got a time to go shopping ’. Say ‘I haven’t got time to go shopping’. □ Have you got time for tea?


2 You don’t usually use ‘time’ when you are saying how long something takes or lasts. Don’t say, for example, ‘ Each song lasts ten minutes’ time ’. Say ‘Each song lasts ten minutes ’. □ The whole process takes twenty-five years .

ti me and mo |tion N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] A time and motion study is a study of the way that people do a particular job, or the way they work in a particular place in order to discover the most efficient methods of working.

ti me bomb (time bombs ) also time-bomb


1 N‑COUNT A time bomb is a bomb with a mechanism that causes it to explode at a particular time.


2 N‑COUNT [oft adj N ] If you describe something as a time bomb , you mean that it is likely to have a serious effect on a person or situation at a later date, especially if you think it will cause a lot of damage. □ This proposal is a political time bomb that could cost the government the next election.

ti me-consuming also time consuming ADJ If something is time-consuming , it takes a lot of time. □ It's just very time consuming to get such a large quantity of data.

ti me frame (time frames ) N‑COUNT The time frame of an event is the length of time during which it happens or develops. [FORMAL ] □ The time frame within which all this occurred was from September 1985 to March 1986.

ti me-honoured ADJ [ADJ n] A time-honoured tradition or way of doing something is one that has been used and respected for a very long time. □ There is a time-honoured tradition of British actors moving to the US.

time|keeper /ta I mkiːpə r / (timekeepers ) also time-keeper


1 N‑COUNT A timekeeper is a person or an instrument that records or checks the time.


2 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a good timekeeper , you mean that they usually arrive on time for things. If you say that they are a poor timekeeper , you mean that they are often late. [BRIT ]

time|keeping /ta I mkiːp I ŋ/


1 N‑UNCOUNT [adj N ] If you talk about someone's timekeeping , you are talking about how good they are at arriving in time for things. [BRIT ] □ I am trying to improve my timekeeping.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Timekeeping is the process or activity of timing an event or series of events. □ Who did the timekeeping?

ti me lag (time lags ) also time-lag N‑COUNT [usu sing] A time lag is a fairly long interval of time between one event and another related event that happens after it. □ [+ between ] …the time-lag between theoretical research and practical applications.

time|less /ta I mləs/ ADJ If you describe something as timeless , you mean that it is so good or beautiful that it cannot be affected by changes in society or fashion. □ There is a timeless quality to his best work. ● time|less|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Maybe it was the trees that gave this place its atmosphere of mystery and timelessness.

ti me lim|it (time limits ) N‑COUNT A time limit is a date before which a particular task must be completed. □ [+ for ] We have extended the time limit for claims until July 30.

time|line /ta I mla I n/ (timelines ) also time line


1 N‑COUNT A timeline is a visual representation of a sequence of events, especially historical events.


2 N‑COUNT A timeline is the length of time that a project is expected to take. □ [+ for ] Use your deadlines to establish the timeline for your research plan.

time|ly /ta I mli/ ADJ A timely event happens at a moment when it is useful, effective, or relevant. [APPROVAL ] □ The recent outbreak is a timely reminder that this disease is a serious health hazard.

ti me ma n|age|ment N‑UNCOUNT Time management is the process of deciding on the order in which you will do tasks, and making sure that they are done on schedule. [BUSINESS ]

ti me ou t (time outs ) also time-out


1 N‑VAR In basketball, American football, ice hockey, and some other sports, when a team calls a time out , they call a stop to the game for a few minutes in order to rest and discuss how they are going to play.


2 N‑UNCOUNT [N to-inf] If you take time out from a job or activity, you have a break from it and do something different instead. □ [+ from ] He took time out from campaigning to accompany his mother to dinner.

time|piece /ta I mpiːs/ (timepieces ) also time piece N‑COUNT A timepiece is a clock, watch, or other device that measures and shows time. [OLD-FASHIONED ]

ti me-poo r ADJ Someone who is time-poor has very little spare time or leisure time.

tim|er /ta I mə r / (timers )


1 N‑COUNT A timer is a device that measures time, especially one that is part of a machine and causes it to start or stop working at specific times. □ …electronic timers that automatically switch on the lights when it gets dark.


2 → see also egg timer

time|scale /ta I mske I l/ (timescales ) also time scale N‑COUNT The timescale of an event is the length of time during which it happens or develops. □ [+ for ] He gave no timescale for these steps.

ti me-server (time-servers ) also timeserver N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a time-server , you disapprove of them because they are making very little effort at work and are just waiting until they retire or leave for a new job. [DISAPPROVAL ]

ti me-share (time-shares ) also time share N‑VAR If you have a time-share , you have the right to use a particular property as holiday accommodation for a specific amount of time each year.

ti me sig|nal (time signals ) N‑COUNT The time signal is the series of high-pitched sounds that are broadcast at certain times on the radio, for example at exactly one o'clock or exactly six o'clock. [BRIT ]

ti me sig|na|ture (time signatures ) N‑COUNT The time signature of a piece of music consists of two numbers written at the beginning that show how many beats there are in each bar.

ti me slot (time slots ) N‑COUNT A television or radio programme's time slot is the time when it is broadcast. □ 90 per cent of listeners had stayed with the programme when it changed its time slot.

ti me switch (time switches ) N‑COUNT A time switch is a device that causes a machine to start or stop working at specific times.

time|table /ta I mte I b ə l/ (timetables , timetabling , timetabled )


1 N‑COUNT A timetable is a plan of the times when particular events are to take place. □ Don't you realize we're working to a timetable? We have to have results. □ [+ for ] The two countries are to try to agree a timetable for formal talks.


2 N‑COUNT In a school or college, a timetable is a list that shows the times in the week at which particular subjects are taught. You can also refer to the range of subjects that a student learns or the classes that a teacher teaches as their timetable . [BRIT ] □ Options are offered subject to staff availability and the constraints of the timetable. in AM, usually use class schedule 3 N‑COUNT A timetable is a list of the times when trains, boats, buses, or aeroplanes are supposed to arrive at or leave from a particular place. [mainly BRIT ] □ For a local bus timetable, contact Dyfed County Council. in AM, usually use schedule 4 VERB [usu passive] If something is timetabled , it is scheduled to happen or do something at a particular time. [mainly BRIT ] □ [be V -ed] On both days, three very different trains will be timetabled. □ [be V -ed to-inf] Opie is timetabled to work a four-day week.

ti me tri|al (time trials ) N‑COUNT In cycling and some other sports, a time trial is a contest in which competitors race along a course individually, in as fast a time as possible, instead of racing directly against each other.

ti me wast|er (time wasters ) also time-waster N‑COUNT If you say that someone or something is a time waster , you mean that they cause you to spend a lot of time doing something that is unnecessary or does not produce any benefit. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Surfing the Internet is fun, but it's also a time waster.

ti me-worn also timeworn ADJ Something that is time-worn is old or has been used a lot over a long period of time. □ Even in the dim light the equipment looked old and time-worn.

ti me zone (time zones ) also time-zone N‑COUNT A time zone is one of the areas into which the world is divided where the time is calculated as being a particular number of hours behind or ahead of GMT.

tim|id /t I m I d/


1 ADJ Timid people are shy, nervous, and have no courage or confidence in themselves. □ A timid child, Isabella had learned obedience at an early age. ● ti|mid|ity /t I m I d I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ She doesn't ridicule my timidity. ● tim|id|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ The little boy stepped forward timidly and shook Leo's hand.


2 ADJ If you describe someone's attitudes or actions as timid , you are criticizing them for being too cautious or slow to act, because they are nervous about the possible consequences of their actions. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The President's critics say he has been too timid in responding to changing international developments. ● ti|mid|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ He was soon disillusioned by the government's timidity on social reform. ● tim|id|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ A number of these states are moving timidly towards multi-party democracy.

tim|ing /ta I m I ŋ/


1 N‑UNCOUNT Timing is the skill or action of judging the right moment in a situation or activity at which to do something. □ His photo is a wonderful happy moment, caught with perfect timing.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Timing is used to refer to the time at which something happens or is planned to happen, or to the length of time that something takes. □ [+ of ] The timing of this meeting was extremely important.


3 → see also time

tim|or|ous /t I mərəs/


1 ADJ If you describe someone as timorous , you mean that they are frightened and nervous of other people and situations. [LITERARY ] □ He is a reclusive, timorous creature.


2 ADJ If you describe someone's actions or decisions as timorous , you are criticizing them for being too cautious or weak, because the person is not very confident and is worried about the possible consequences of their actions. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Some delegates believe the final declaration is likely to be too timorous.

tim|pa|ni /t I mpəni/ N‑PLURAL Timpani are large drums that are played in an orchestra.

tin /t I n/ (tins )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Tin is a soft silvery-white metal. □ …a factory that turns scrap metal into tin cans. □ …a tin-roofed hut.


2 N‑COUNT A tin is a metal container which is filled with food and sealed in order to preserve the food for long periods of time. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] She popped out to buy a tin of soup. ● N‑COUNT A tin of food is the amount of food contained in a tin. [mainly BRIT ] □ [+ of ] He had survived by eating a small tin of fruit every day. in AM, use can 3 N‑COUNT A tin is a metal container with a lid in which things such as biscuits, cakes, or tobacco can be kept. □ Store the cookies in an airtight tin. [Also + of ] ● N‑COUNT A tin of something is the amount contained in a tin. □ [+ of ] They emptied out the remains of the tin of paint and smeared it on the inside of the van.


4 N‑COUNT A baking tin is a metal container used for baking things such as cakes and bread in an oven. [BRIT ] □ Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes. in AM, use pan , baking pan

tinc|ture /t I ŋktʃə r / (tinctures ) N‑VAR A tincture is a medicine consisting of alcohol and a small amount of a drug. □ [+ of ] …a few drops of tincture of iodine.

tin|der /t I ndə r / N‑UNCOUNT Tinder consists of small pieces of something dry, especially wood or grass, that burns easily and can be used for lighting a fire.

tinder|box /t I ndə r bɒks/ (tinderboxes ) also tinder box N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you say that a situation is a tinderbox , you mean that it is very tense and something dangerous or unpleasant is likely to happen very soon.

tine /ta I n/ (tines ) N‑COUNT The tines of something such as a fork are the long pointed parts. [FORMAL ]

tin|foil /t I nfɔ I l/ also tin foil N‑UNCOUNT Tinfoil consists of shiny metal in the form of a thin sheet which is used for wrapping food.

tinge /t I ndʒ/ (tinges ) N‑COUNT A tinge of a colour, feeling, or quality is a small amount of it. □ His skin had an unhealthy greyish tinge. □ [+ of ] Could there have been a slight tinge of envy in Eva's voice?

tinged /t I ndʒd/


1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something is tinged with a particular colour, it has a small amount of that colour in it. □ [+ with ] His dark hair was just tinged with grey.


2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If something is tinged with a particular feeling or quality, it has or shows a small amount of that feeling or quality. □ [+ with ] Her homecoming was tinged with sadness.

tin|gle /t I ŋg ə l/ (tingles , tingling , tingled )


1 VERB When a part of your body tingles , you have a slight stinging feeling there. □ [V ] The backs of his thighs tingled. ● tin|gling N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ in ] Its effects include tingling in the hands and feet.


2 VERB If you tingle with a feeling such as excitement, you feel it very strongly. □ [V + with ] She tingled with excitement. □ [V ] When I look over and see Terry, I tingle all over. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Tingle is also a noun. □ [+ of ] I felt a sudden tingle of excitement.

tin|gly /t I ŋgli/


1 ADJ If something makes your body feel tingly , it gives you a slight stinging feeling. □ These lotions tend to give the skin a tingly sensation.


2 ADJ If something pleasant or exciting makes you feel tingly , it gives you a pleasant warm feeling. □ He had a way of sounding so sincere. It made me warm and tingly.

tink|er /t I ŋkə r / (tinkers , tinkering , tinkered ) VERB If you tinker with something, you make some small changes to it, in an attempt to improve it or repair it. □ [V + with ] Instead of the Government admitting its error, it just tinkered with the problem. □ [V ] It is not enough to tinker at the edges; we must reconstruct the entire system. ● tink|er|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ No amount of tinkering is going to improve matters.

tin|kle /t I ŋk ə l/ (tinkles , tinkling , tinkled )


1 VERB If something tinkles , it makes a clear, high-pitched, ringing noise, especially as small parts of it strike a surface. □ [V prep/adv] A fresh cascade of splintered glass tinkled to the floor. □ [V -ing] We strolled past tinkling fountains and perfumed gardens. [Also V ] ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Tinkle is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …a tinkle of broken glass.


2 VERB If a bell tinkles or if you tinkle it, it makes a quiet ringing noise as you shake it. □ [V ] An old-fashioned bell tinkled as he pushed open the door. □ [V n] Miss Peel tinkled her desk bell and they all sat down again. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Tinkle is also a noun. □ [+ of ] …the tinkle of goat bells.

tinned /t I nd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Tinned food is food that has been preserved by being sealed in a tin. [mainly BRIT ] □ …tinned tomatoes. □ …tinned salmon. in AM, usually use canned

tin|ny /t I ni/


1 ADJ If you describe a sound as tinny , you mean that it has an irritating, high-pitched quality. □ He could hear the tinny sound of a radio playing a pop song.


2 ADJ If you use tinny to describe something such as a cheap car, you mean that it is made of thin metal and is of poor quality. □ It is one of the cheapest cars on the market, with tinny bodywork.

ti n open|er (tin openers ) also tin-opener N‑COUNT A tin opener is a tool that is used for opening tins of food. [BRIT ] in AM, use can opener

tin|pot /t I npɒt/ also tin-pot ADJ [ADJ n] You can use tinpot to describe a leader, country, or government that you consider to be unimportant and inferior to most others. [mainly BRIT , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a tinpot dictator.

tin|sel /t I ns ə l/ N‑UNCOUNT Tinsel consists of small strips of shiny paper attached to long pieces of thread. People use tinsel as a decoration at Christmas.

Tin|sel|town /t I ns ə ltaʊn/ N‑PROPER People sometimes refer to Hollywood as Tinseltown , especially when they want to show that they disapprove of it or when they are making fun of it.

tint /t I nt/ (tints , tinting , tinted )


1 N‑COUNT A tint is a small amount of colour. □ Its large leaves often show a delicate purple tint.


2 N‑COUNT If you put a tint on your hair, you dye it a slightly different colour. □ You've had a tint on your hair.


3 VERB [usu passive] If something is tinted , it has a small amount of a particular colour or dye in it. □ [be V -ed] Eyebrows can be tinted with the same dye. □ [V -ed] Most of the dirt was on the outside of the tinted glass. ● -tinted COMB □ He wore green-tinted glasses.

ti n whi s|tle (tin whistles ) N‑COUNT A tin whistle is a simple musical instrument in the shape of a metal pipe with holes. You play the tin whistle by blowing into it. Tin whistles make a high sound and are often used in folk music, for example Irish music.

tiny ◆◇◇ /ta I ni/ (tinier , tiniest ) ADJ Something or someone that is tiny is extremely small. □ The living room is tiny. □ Though she was tiny, she had a very loud voice.

SUFFIX -tion


forms nouns that refer to a state or process, or to an instance of that process. For example, the protection of something is the act of protecting it.

tip ◆◇◇ /t I p/ (tips , tipping , tipped )


1 N‑COUNT The tip of something long and narrow is the end of it. □ [+ of ] The sleeves covered his hands to the tips of his fingers. □ [+ of ] She poked and shifted things with the tip of her walking stick.


2 VERB If you tip an object or part of your body or if it tips , it moves into a sloping position with one end or side higher than the other. □ [V n adv/prep] He leaned away from her, and she had to tip her head back to see him. □ [V ] A young boy is standing on a stool, reaching for a cookie jar, and the stool is about to tip.


3 VERB If you tip something somewhere, you pour it there. □ [V n prep] Tip the vegetables into a bowl. □ [V n with adv] Tip away the salt and wipe the pan.


4 VERB To tip rubbish means to get rid of it by leaving it somewhere. [BRIT ] □ [V n] …the costs of tipping rubbish in landfills. □ [V ] How do you stop people tipping? □ [V -ed] We live in a street off Soho Road and there's rubbish tipped everywhere. in AM, use dump 5 N‑COUNT A tip is a place where rubbish is left. [BRIT ] in AM, use garbage dump 6 N‑COUNT If you describe a place as a tip , you mean it is very untidy. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The flat is an absolute tip.


7 VERB If you tip someone such as a waiter in a restaurant, you give them some money in order to thank them for their services. □ [V n] Do you really think it's customary to tip the waiters? □ [V n amount] She tipped the barmen 10 dollars and bought drinks all round. [Also V ] ● tip|ping N‑UNCOUNT □ A 10 percent service charge is added in lieu of tipping.


8 N‑COUNT If you give a tip to someone such as a waiter in a restaurant, you give them some money to thank them for their services. □ I gave the barber a tip.


9 N‑COUNT A tip is a useful piece of advice. □ [+ on ] It shows how to prepare a CV, and gives tips on applying for jobs. [Also + for ]


10 VERB [usu passive] If a person is tipped to do something or is tipped for success at something, experts or journalists believe that they will do that thing or achieve that success. [BRIT ] □ [be V -ed to-inf] He is tipped to be the country's next foreign minister. □ [be V -ed + for ] He was widely tipped for success.


11 N‑COUNT Someone's tip for a race or competition is their advice on its likely result, especially to someone who wants to bet money on the result. □ [+ for ] United are still my tip for the Title.


12 PHRASE If you say that a problem is the tip of the iceberg , you mean that it is one small part of a much larger problem. □ The people who have died so far could be just the tip of the iceberg.


13 PHRASE If something tips the scales or tips the balance , it gives someone a slight advantage. □ Today's slightly shorter race could well help to tip the scales in his favour.


14 PHRASE If a comment or question is on the tip of your tongue , you really want to say it or ask it, but you decide not to say it. □ It was on the tip of Mahoney's tongue to say the boss was out.


▸ tip off PHRASAL VERB If someone tips you off , they give you information about something that has happened or is going to happen. □ [V n P ] Greg tipped police off on his car phone about a suspect drunk driver. □ [V P n] He was arrested two days later after a friend tipped off the FBI.


▸ tip over PHRASAL VERB If you tip something over or if it tips over , it falls over or turns over. □ [V n P ] He tipped the table over in front of him. □ [V P n] She tipped over the chair and collapsed into the corner with a splintering crash. □ [V P ] We grabbed it just as it was about to tip over.


▸ tip up PHRASAL VERB If you tip something up or if it tips up , it moves into a sloping position with one end or side higher than the other. □ [V P n] We had to tip up the bed and the model was in grave danger of falling off it! □ [V n P ] Tip the bottle up so it's in the same position as it would be when feeding the baby. □ [V P ] The aircraft levelled out, and tipped up again for its climb to 20,000 feet. COLLOCATIONS tip NOUN 9


noun + tip : insider, style, travel


adjective + tip : handy, hot, top, useful


verb + tip : offer, provide, share

ti p-off (tip-offs ) N‑COUNT A tip-off is a piece of information or a warning that you give to someone, often privately or secretly. □ The man was arrested at his home after a tip-off to police from a member of the public.

-tipped /-t I pt/ COMB -tipped combines with nouns to form adjectives that describe something as having a tip made of a particular substance or covered with a particular material. □ In his hand, he carried a gold-tipped crook. □ …poison-tipped arrows.

tip|ple /t I p ə l/ (tipples ) N‑COUNT A person's tipple is the alcoholic drink that they usually drink. [mainly BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ My favourite tipple is a glass of port.

tip|ster /t I pstə r / (tipsters ) N‑COUNT A tipster is someone who tells you, usually in exchange for money, which horses they think will win particular races, so that you can bet money on the horses.

tip|sy /t I psi/ ADJ If someone is tipsy , they are slightly drunk. □ I'm feeling a bit tipsy.

tip|toe /t I ptoʊ/ (tiptoes , tiptoeing , tiptoed )


1 VERB If you tiptoe somewhere, you walk there very quietly without putting your heels on the floor when you walk. □ [V prep/adv] She slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the window. [Also V ]


2 PHRASE If you do something on tiptoe or on tiptoes , you do it standing or walking on the front part of your foot, without putting your heels on the ground. □ She leaned her bike against the stone wall and stood on tiptoe to peer over it.

ti p-to p also tiptop ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use tip-top to indicate that something is extremely good. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ Her hair was thick, glossy and in tip-top condition.

ti|rade /ta I re I d/ (tirades ) N‑COUNT A tirade is a long angry speech in which someone criticizes a person or thing. □ [+ against ] She launched into a tirade against the policies that ruined her business.

tire /ta I ə r / (tires , tiring , tired )


1 VERB If something tires you or if you tire , you feel that you have used a lot of energy and you want to rest or sleep. □ [V n] If driving tires you, take the train. □ [V ] He tired easily, though he was unable to sleep well at night.


2 VERB [no passive] If you tire of something, you no longer wish to do it, because you have become bored of it or unhappy with it. □ [V + of ] He felt he would never tire of international cricket.


3 N‑COUNT A tire is the same as a tyre . [AM ]


▸ tire out PHRASAL VERB If something tires you out , it makes you exhausted. □ [V n P ] The oppressive afternoon heat had quite tired him out. □ [V P n] His objective was to tire out the climbers. ● tired out ADJ □ He was obviously tired out.

tired ◆◇◇ /ta I ə r d/


1 ADJ If you are tired , you feel that you want to rest or sleep. □ Michael is tired and he has to rest after his long trip. ● tired|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ He had to cancel some engagements because of tiredness.


2 ADJ You can describe a part of your body as tired if it looks or feels as if you need to rest it or to sleep. □ My arms are tired, and my back is tense.


3 ADJ If you are tired of something, you do not want it to continue because you are bored of it or unhappy with it. □ [+ of ] I am tired of all the speculation. □ [+ of ] I was tired of being a bookkeeper.


4 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as tired , you are critical of it because you have heard it or seen it many times. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I didn't want to hear another one of his tired excuses. SYNONYMS tired ADJ 1


exhausted: She was too exhausted and distressed to talk about the tragedy.


weary: Rachel looked pale and weary.


drained: United left the pitch looking stunned and drained.


worn out: Before the race, he is fine. But afterwards he is worn out.

tire|less /ta I ə r ləs/ ADJ If you describe someone or their efforts as tireless , you approve of the fact that they put a lot of hard work into something, and refuse to give up or take a rest. [APPROVAL ] □ …the charity's tireless efforts to help the poor. ● tire|less|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He worked tirelessly for the cause of health and safety.

tire|some /ta I ə r səm/ ADJ If you describe someone or something as tiresome , you mean that you find them irritating or boring. □ …the tiresome old lady next door.

tir|ing /ta I ə r I ŋ/ ADJ If you describe something as tiring , you mean that it makes you tired so that you want to rest or sleep. □ It had been a long and tiring day. □ Travelling is tiring.

tis|sue ◆◇◇ /t I ʃuː, t I sjuː/ (tissues )


1 N‑UNCOUNT In animals and plants, tissue consists of cells that are similar to each other in appearance and that have the same function. □ As we age we lose muscle tissue.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Tissue or tissue paper is thin paper that is used for wrapping things that are easily damaged, such as objects made of glass or china.


3 N‑COUNT A tissue is a piece of thin soft paper that you use to blow your nose. □ …a box of tissues. COLLOCATIONS tissue NOUN 1


noun + tissue : brain, breast, muscle, scar; animal, plant


adjective + tissue : cancerous, damaged, healthy; connective, fatty, ovarian, soft


verb + tissue : regenerate, repair; destroy, remove

tit /t I t/ (tits )


1 N‑COUNT A tit is a small European bird that eats insects and seeds. There are several kinds of tit.


2 → see also blue tit


3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A woman's tits are her breasts. [INFORMAL , RUDE ]


4 N‑COUNT If you call someone a tit , you are insulting them and saying that they are stupid. [BRIT , INFORMAL , RUDE , DISAPPROVAL ]

ti|tan /ta I t ə n/ (titans ) N‑COUNT [usu N n] If you describe someone as a titan of a particular field, you mean that they are very important and powerful or successful in that field. □ …the country's two richest business titans. [Also + of ]

ti|tan|ic /ta I tæ n I k/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as titanic , you mean that it is very big or important, and usually that it involves very powerful forces. □ The world had witnessed a titanic struggle between two visions of the future.

ti|ta|nium /ta I te I niəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Titanium is a light strong white metal.

tit|bit /t I tb I t/ (titbits ) in AM, use tidbit 1 N‑COUNT You can refer to a small piece of information about someone's private affairs as a titbit , especially when it is interesting and shocking. □ [+ of ] …titbits of gossip gleaned from the corridors of power.


2 N‑COUNT A titbit is a small piece of food.

ti t-for-ta t ADJ [usu ADJ n] A tit-for-tat action is one where someone takes revenge on another person for what they have done by doing something similar to them. □ The two countries have each expelled another diplomat in a round of tit-for-tat expulsions.

tithe /ta I ð/ (tithes ) N‑COUNT A tithe is a fixed amount of money or goods that is given regularly in order to support a church, a priest, or a charity.

tit|il|late /t I t I le I t/ (titillates , titillating , titillated ) VERB If something titillates someone, it pleases and excites them, especially in a sexual way. □ [V n] The pictures were not meant to titillate audiences. ● tit|il|lat|ing ADJ □ …deliberately titillating lyrics.

ti|tle ◆◆◇ /ta I t ə l/ (titles , titling , titled )


1 N‑COUNT The title of a book, play, film, or piece of music is its name. □ 'Patience and Sarah' was first published in 1969 under the title 'A Place for Us'.


2 VERB When a writer, composer, or artist titles a work, they give it a title. □ [V n n] Pirandello titled his play 'Six Characters in Search of an Author'. □ [be V -ed n] The painting is titled 'The Dream'. □ [V -ed] Their story is the subject of a new book titled 'The Golden Thirteen'. ● -titled COMB □ …his aptly titled autobiography, Life is Meeting.


3 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Publishers and booksellers often refer to books or magazines as titles . □ It has become the biggest publisher of new poetry in Britain, with 50 new titles a year.


4 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] A person's title is a word such as 'Sir', 'Lord', or 'Lady' that is used in front of their name, or a phrase that is used instead of their name, and indicates that they have a high rank in society. □ She relinquished everything but her title as Queen of Scots.


5 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's title is a word such as 'Mr', 'Mrs', or 'Doctor', that is used before their own name in order to show their status or profession. □ She has been awarded the title Professor.


6 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] Someone's title is a name that describes their job or status in an organization. □ 'Could you tell me your official job title?'—'It's Operations Manager.'


7 N‑COUNT [oft poss N ] If a person or team wins a particular title , they win a sports competition that is held regularly. Usually a person keeps a title until someone else defeats them. □ He became Jamaica's first gold medallist when he won the 400m title in 1948.

ti|tled ◆◇◇ /ta I t ə ld/ ADJ Someone who is titled has a title such as 'Lord', 'Lady', 'Sir', or 'Princess' before their name, showing that they have a high rank in society. □ Her mother was a titled lady.

ti tle-holder (title-holders ) also title holder N‑COUNT The title-holder is the person who most recently won a sports competition that is held regularly. □ Kasparov became the youngest world title-holder at 22.

ti |tle ro le (title roles ) N‑COUNT The title role in a play or film is the role referred to in the name of the play or film. □ Her performance of the title role in Strauss's Salome created a sensation.

ti |tle track (title tracks ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The title track on a CD or record is a song or piece of music that has the same title as the CD or record. □ [+ of ] They come from Tuam, a place they refer to on the title track of their album, 'All the Way From Tuam'.

tit|ter /t I tə r / (titters , tittering , tittered ) VERB If someone titters , they give a short nervous laugh, especially when they are embarrassed about something. □ [V ] Mention sex therapy and most people will titter in embarrassment. ● N‑COUNT Titter is also a noun. □ Mollie gave an uneasy little titter. ● tit|ter|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ There was nervous tittering in the studio audience.

tittle-tattle /t I t ə l tæt ə l/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to something that a group of people talk about as tittle-tattle , you mean that you disapprove of it because it is not important, and there is no real evidence that it is true. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ about ] …tittle-tattle about the private lives of minor celebrities.

titu|lar /t I tʃʊlə r / ADJ [ADJ n] A titular job or position has a name that makes it seem important, although the person who has it is not really important or powerful. □ He is titular head, and merely signs laws occasionally.

tiz|zy /t I zi/ PHRASE If you get in a tizzy or into a tizzy , you get excited, worried, or nervous about something, especially something that is not important. [INFORMAL ] □ He was in a right tizzy, muttering and swearing. □ Male journalists have been sent into a tizzy by the idea of female fighter pilots.

T -junction (T-junctions ) N‑COUNT If you arrive at a T-junction , the road that you are on joins at right angles to another road, so that you have to turn either left or right to continue. [BRIT ]

TM /tiː e m/


1 N‑UNCOUNT TM is a kind of meditation, in which people mentally relax by silently repeating special words over and over again. TM is an abbreviation for 'transcendental meditation'.


2 TM is a written abbreviation for trademark .

TNT /tiː en tiː / N‑UNCOUNT TNT is a powerful explosive substance. TNT is an abbreviation for 'trinitrotoluene'.


to


➊ PREPOSITION AND ADVERB USES


➋ USED BEFORE THE BASE FORM OF A VERB


➊ to ◆◆◆ Usually ppronounced /tə/ before a consonant and /tu/ before a vowel, but pronounced /tuː/ when you are emphasizing it. In addition to the uses shown below, to is used in phrasal verbs such as 'see to' and 'come to'. It is also used with some verbs that have two objects in order to introduce the second object. 1 PREP You use to when indicating the place that someone or something visits, moves towards, or points at. □ Two friends and I drove to Florida during college spring break. □ …a five-day road and rail journey to Paris. □ She went to the window and looked out. □ He pointed to a chair, signalling for her to sit.


2 PREP If you go to an event, you go where it is taking place. □ We went to a party at the leisure centre. □ He came to dinner.


3 PREP If something is attached to something larger or fixed to it, the two things are joined together. □ There was a piece of cloth tied to the dog's collar. □ Scrape off all the meat juices stuck to the bottom of the pan.


4 PREP You use to when indicating the position of something. For example, if something is to your left, it is nearer your left side than your right side. □ Hemingway's studio is to the right. □ Atlanta was only an hour's drive to the north.


5 PREP When you give something to someone, they receive it. □ He picked up the knife and gave it to me. □ Firms should be allowed to offer jobs to the long-term unemployed at a lower wage.


6 PREP You use to to indicate who or what an action or a feeling is directed towards. □ Marcus has been most unkind to me today. □ I have had to pay for repairs to the house.


7 PREP You use to with certain nouns and adjectives to show that a following noun is related to them. □ He is a witty man, and an inspiration to all of us. □ Money is not the answer to everything.


8 PREP If you say something to someone, you want that person to listen and understand what you are saying. □ I'm going to have to explain to them that I can't pay them.


9 PREP You use to when indicating someone's reaction to something or their feelings about a situation or event. For example, if you say that something happens to someone's surprise you mean that they are surprised when it happens. □ He survived, to the amazement of surgeons.


10 PREP You use to when indicating the person whose opinion you are stating. □ It was clear to me that he respected his boss. □ Everyone seemed to her to be amazingly kind.


11 PREP You use to when indicating what something or someone is becoming, or the state or situation that they are progressing towards. □ The shouts changed to screams of terror. □ …an old ranch house that has been converted to a nature centre.


12 PREP To can be used as a way of introducing the person or organization you are employed by, when you perform some service for them. □ She worked as a dresser to the Duchess of York for nine years. □ He was an official interpreter to the government of Nepal.


13 PREP You use to to indicate that something happens until the time or amount mentioned is reached. □ The company aimed to double foreign exports from 2012 to 2020 □ The annual rate of inflation has risen to its highest level for eight years.


14 PREP You use to when indicating the last thing in a range of things, usually when you are giving two extreme examples of something. □ I read everything from fiction to history.


15 PREP If someone goes from place to place or from job to job, they go to several places, or work in several jobs, and spend only a short time in each one. □ Larry and Andy had drifted from place to place, worked at this and that.


16 PHRASE If someone moves to and fro , they move repeatedly from one place to another and back again, or from side to side. □ She stood up and began to pace to and fro.


17 PREP You use to when you are stating a time which is less than thirty minutes before an hour. For example, if it is 'five to eight', it is five minutes before eight o'clock. □ At twenty to six I was waiting by the entrance to the station. □ At exactly five minutes to nine, Ann left her car and entered the building.


18 PREP You use to when giving ratios and rates. □ …engines that can run at 60 miles to the gallon.


19 PREP You use to when indicating that two things happen at the same time. For example, if something is done to music, it is done at the same time as music is being played. □ Romeo left the stage, to enthusiastic applause. □ Amy woke up to the sound of her doorbell ringing.


20 CONVENTION If you say ' There's nothing to it ', ' There's not much to it ', or ' That's all there is to it ', you are emphasizing how simple you think something is. [EMPHASIS ] □ Once they have tried growing orchids, they will see there is really nothing to it.


21 ADV [ADV after v] If you push or shut a door to , you close it but may not shut it completely. □ He slipped out, pulling the door to.


22 → see also according to

➋ to ◆◆◆ Pronounced /tə/ before a consonant and /tu/ before a vowel. 1 [to inf] You use to before the base form of a verb to form the to-infinitive. You use the to-infinitive after certain verbs, nouns, and adjectives, and after words such as 'how', 'which', and 'where'. □ The management wanted to know what I was doing there. □ She told ministers of her decision to resign.


2 [to inf] You use to before the base form of a verb to indicate the purpose or intention of an action. □ …using the experience of big companies to help small businesses. □ He was doing this to make me more relaxed.


3 to order → see order ➋


4 [to inf] You use to before the base form of a verb when you are commenting on a statement that you are making, for example when saying that you are being honest or brief, or that you are summing up or giving an example. □ I'm disappointed, to be honest. □ Well, to sum up, what is the message that you are trying to get across?


5 [to inf] You use to before the base form of a verb when indicating what situation follows a particular action. □ From the garden you walk down to discover a large and beautiful lake. □ He awoke to find Charlie standing near the bed.


6 You use to with 'too' and 'enough' in expressions like too much to and old enough to . □ At last he was old enough to drive.

toad /toʊ d/ (toads ) N‑COUNT A toad is a creature which is similar to a frog but which has a drier skin and spends less time in water.

toad|stool /toʊ dstuːl/ (toadstools ) N‑COUNT A toadstool is a fungus that you cannot eat because it is poisonous.

toady /toʊ di/ (toadies , toadying , toadied )


1 N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a toady , you disapprove of them because they flatter or are pleasant towards an important or powerful person in the hope of getting some advantage from them. [DISAPPROVAL ]


2 VERB If you say that someone is toadying to an important or powerful person, you disapprove of them because they are flattering or being pleasant towards that person in the hope of getting some advantage from them. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V + to ] They came backstage afterward, cooing and toadying to him. [Also V ]

toast /toʊ st/ (toasts , toasting , toasted )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Toast is bread which has been cut into slices and made brown and crisp by cooking at a high temperature. □ …a piece of toast.


2 VERB When you toast something such as bread, you cook it at a high temperature so that it becomes brown and crisp. □ [V n] Toast the bread lightly on both sides. □ [V -ed] …a toasted sandwich.


3 N‑COUNT When you drink a toast to someone or something, you drink some wine or another alcoholic drink as a symbolic gesture, in order to show your appreciation of them or to wish them success. □ [+ to ] The host drank a toast to each guest in turn.


4 VERB When you toast someone or something, you drink a toast to them. □ [V n] Party officials and generals toasted his health.


5 N‑SING If someone is the toast of a place, they are very popular and greatly admired there, because they have done something very successfully or well. □ [+ of ] She was the toast of Paris.

toast|er /toʊ stə r / (toasters ) N‑COUNT A toaster is a piece of electrical equipment used to toast bread.

toastie /toʊ sti/ (toasties ) N‑COUNT A toastie is a toasted sandwich. [BRIT ]

toast|master /toʊ stmɑːstə r , -mæs-/ (toastmasters ) N‑COUNT At a special ceremony or formal dinner, the toastmaster is the person who proposes toasts and introduces the speakers.

toa st rack (toast racks ) N‑COUNT A toast rack is an object that is designed to hold pieces of toast in an upright position and separate from each other, ready for people to eat.

toasty /toʊ sti/ (toastier , toastiest ) ADJ If something is toasty , it is comfortably warm. [INFORMAL ] □ The room was toasty. The sun was streaming through the windows.

to|bac|co /təbæ koʊ/ (tobaccos )


1 N‑VAR Tobacco is dried leaves which people smoke in pipes, cigars, and cigarettes. You can also refer to pipes, cigars, and cigarettes as a whole as tobacco . □ Try to do without tobacco and alcohol.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Tobacco is the plant from which tobacco is obtained.

to|bac|co|nist /təbæ kən I st/ (tobacconists ) N‑COUNT A tobacconist or a tobacconist's is a shop that sells things such as tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars.

to|bog|gan /təbɒ gən/ (toboggans ) N‑COUNT A toboggan is a light wooden board with a curved front, used for travelling down hills on snow or ice.

toc|ca|ta /təkɑː tə/ (toccatas ) N‑COUNT [oft in names] A toccata is a fast piece of music for the piano, organ, or other keyboard instrument.

to|day ◆◆◆ /təde I /


1 ADV You use today to refer to the day on which you are speaking or writing. □ How are you feeling today? □ I wanted him to come with us today, but he couldn't. ● N‑UNCOUNT Today is also a noun. □ The Prime Minister remains the main story in today's newspapers.


2 ADV [n ADV ] You can refer to the present period of history as today . □ He thinks pop music today is as exciting as it's ever been. ● N‑UNCOUNT Today is also a noun. □ Living in today's world we are exposed to pollution, traffic, and overcrowding. USAGE today


Don’t use ‘today’ in front of morning , afternoon , or evening . Instead, use this . □ His plane left this morning .

tod|dle /tɒ d ə l/ (toddles , toddling , toddled ) VERB When a child toddles , it walks unsteadily with short quick steps. □ [V ] …once your baby starts toddling. □ [V adv/prep] She fell while toddling around.

tod|dler /tɒ dlə r / (toddlers ) N‑COUNT A toddler is a young child who has only just learned to walk or who still walks unsteadily with small, quick steps.

tod|dy /tɒ di/ (toddies ) N‑VAR A toddy is a drink that is made by adding hot water and sugar to a strong alcoholic drink such as whisky, rum, or brandy. □ …a hot toddy.

to-do /tə duː / N‑SING When there is a to-do , people are very excited, confused, or angry about something. [INFORMAL ]

toe /toʊ / (toes , toeing , toed )


1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your toes are the five movable parts at the end of each foot.


2 PHRASE If you dip your toes into something or dip your toes into the waters of something, you start doing that thing slowly and carefully, because you are not sure whether it will be successful or whether you will like it. □ This may encourage gold traders to dip their toes back into the markets.


3 PHRASE If you say that someone or something keeps you on your toes , you mean that they cause you to remain alert and ready for anything that might happen. □ His fiery campaign rhetoric has kept opposition parties on their toes for months.


4 PHRASE If you toe the line , you behave in the way that people in authority expect you to. □ …attempts to persuade the rebel members to toe the line.


5 PHRASE If you tread on someone's toes , you offend them by criticizing the way that they do something or by interfering in their affairs. [INFORMAL ] □ I must be careful not to tread on their toes. My job is to challenge, but not threaten them.

toe|cap /toʊ kæp/ (toecaps ) also toe-cap N‑COUNT A toecap is a piece of leather or metal which is fitted over the end of a shoe or boot in order to protect or strengthen it.

toe -curling ADJ If you describe something as toe-curling , you mean that it makes you feel very embarrassed. □ They showed the most toe-curling photos.

TOEFL /toʊ f ə l/ N‑PROPER TOEFL is an English language examination which is often taken by foreign students who want to study at universities in English-speaking countries. TOEFL is an abbreviation of 'Test of English as a Foreign Language'.

toe|hold /toʊ hoʊld/ (toeholds ) also toe-hold N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you have a toehold in a situation, you have managed to gain an uncertain position or a small amount of power in it, which you hope will give you the opportunity to get a better or more powerful position. □ [+ in ] The company was anxious to get a toehold in the European market. [Also + on ]

toe|nail /toʊ ne I l/ (toenails ) also toe nail N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your toenails are the thin hard areas at the end of each of your toes.

toff /tɒ f/ (toffs ) N‑COUNT If you refer to someone as a toff , you are saying in an unkind way that they come from the upper classes or are very rich. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

tof|fee /tɒ fi, [AM ] tɔː fi/ (toffees )


1 N‑UNCOUNT Toffee is a sticky sweet that you chew. It is made by boiling sugar and butter together with water. [BRIT ] in AM, use taffy 2 N‑COUNT A toffee is an individual piece of toffee.

to ffee-nosed ADJ If you say that someone is toffee-nosed , you disapprove of them because they have a high opinion of themselves and a low opinion of other people. [BRIT , INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ]

tog /tɒ g/ (togs )


1 N‑COUNT [usu N n, num N ] A tog is an official measurement that shows how warm a blanket or quilt is. [BRIT ] □ The range of tog values has been extended to 15 togs. ● COMB Tog is also a combining form. □ …a snug 13.5-tog winter duvet.


2 N‑PLURAL Togs are clothes, especially ones for a particular purpose. [INFORMAL ] □ The photograph showed him wearing football togs.

toga /toʊ gə/ (togas ) N‑COUNT A toga is a piece of clothing which was worn by the ancient Romans.

to|geth|er ◆◆◆ /təge ðə r / In addition to the uses shown below, together is used in phrasal verbs such as 'piece together', 'pull together', and 'sleep together'. 1 ADV [usu ADV after v] If people do something together , they do it with each other. □ We went on long bicycle rides together. □ They all live together in a three-bedroom house. □ Together they swam to the ship.


2 ADV [ADV after v] If things are joined together , they are joined with each other so that they touch or form one whole. □ Mix the ingredients together thoroughly. □ She clasped her hands together on her lap.


3 ADV [ADV after v] If things or people are situated together , they are in the same place and very near to each other. □ The trees grew close together. □ Ginette and I gathered our things together.


4 ADV [ADV after v] If a group of people are held or kept together , they are united with each other in some way. □ He has done enough to pull the party together. ● ADJ [v-link ADJ ] Together is also an adjective. □ We are together in the way we're looking at this situation.


5 ADJ [v-link ADJ , n ADJ ] If two people are together , they are married or having a sexual relationship with each other. □ We were together for five years.


6 ADV [ADV after v] If two things happen or are done together , they happen or are done at the same time. □ Three horses crossed the finish line together. □ 'Yes,' they said together.


7 ADV [ADV before v, n ADV ] You use together when you are adding two or more amounts or things to each other in order to consider a total amount or effect. □ Together they account for less than five per cent of the population.


8 PHRASE If you say that two things go together , or that one thing goes together with another, you mean that they go well with each other or cannot be separated from each other. □ I can see that some colours go together and some don't. [Also + with ]


9 ADJ If you describe someone as together , you admire them because they are very confident, organized, and know what they want. [INFORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ She was very headstrong, and very together.


10 PHRASE You use together with to mention someone or something else that is also involved in an action or situation. □ [+ with ] Every month we'll deliver the best articles, together with the latest fashion news.


11 to get your act together → see act


12 to put your heads together → see head

to|geth|er|ness /təge ðə r nəs/ N‑UNCOUNT Togetherness is a happy feeling of affection and closeness to other people, especially your friends and family. □ Nothing can ever take the place of real love and family togetherness.

tog|gle /tɒ g ə l/ (toggles ) N‑COUNT A toggle is a small piece of wood or plastic which is sewn to something such as a coat or bag, and which is pushed through a loop or hole to fasten it.

toil /tɔ I l/ (toils , toiling , toiled )


1 VERB When people toil , they work very hard doing unpleasant or tiring tasks. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] People who toiled in dim, dank factories were too exhausted to enjoy their family life. □ [V n] Workers toiled long hours. [Also V at/on n] ● PHRASAL VERB Toil away means the same as toil . □ [V P + at/on ] She has toiled away at the violin for years. □ [V P ] Nora toils away serving burgers at the local cafe.


2 N‑UNCOUNT Toil is unpleasant work that is very tiring physically. [LITERARY ]

toi|let /tɔ I lət/ (toilets )


1 N‑COUNT A toilet is a large bowl with a seat, or a platform with a hole, which is connected to a water system and which you use when you want to get rid of urine or faeces from your body.


2 N‑COUNT A toilet is a room in a house or public building that contains a toilet. [BRIT ] □ Annette ran and locked herself in the toilet. □ Fred never uses public toilets. in AM, use bathroom , rest room


3 PHRASE You can say that someone goes to the toilet to mean that they get rid of waste substances from their body, especially when you want to avoid using words that you think may offend people. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use go to the bathroom

toi |let bag (toilet bags ) N‑COUNT A toilet bag is a small bag in which you keep things such as soap, a flannel, and a toothbrush when you are travelling.

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