See Adjective on page 269
admire admires, admiring, admired
VERB 1 When you admire someone, you think very highly of them.
VERB 2 When you admire something, you enjoy looking at it. They stopped the car to admire the view.
admit admits, admitting, admitted
VERB 1 If you admit something, you agree that it is true.
VERB 2 If people are admitted to a place, they are allowed to go in.
adopt adopts, adopting, adopted VERB
If a person adopts a child, they make the child their own by law.
adore adores, adoring, adored VERB
If you adore someone, you love them very much.
adult adults NOUN
An adult is a grown-up person or animal.
advance advances, advancing, advanced VERB
If someone advances, they move forward. The army advanced nine miles in one day.
advantage advantages NOUN
An advantage is something that helps you do better than other people. His long legs gave him an advantage in the race.
adventure adventures NOUN
If you are having an adventure, you are doing something exciting.
adverb adverbs NOUN
An adverb is a word that answers questions like how, when, where and why. In the sentence The girl came quietly into the room, the word quietly is an adverb telling you how the girl came in.
See Adverb on page 269
advertise advertises, advertising, advertised VERB
If you advertise something, you tell people about it through newspapers, posters or TV.
advertisement advertisements NOUN
An advertisement is a notice in the paper, or on a poster or TV, about a job or things for sale.
advice NOUN
If you give someone advice, you say what you think they should do.
advise advises, advising, advised VERB
When you advise someone, you tell them what you think they should do.
aerial aerials NOUN
An aerial is a wire that sends or receives radio or television signals.
aeroplane aeroplanes NOUN
An aeroplane is a flying vehicle with wings and one or more engines.
affect affects, affecting, affected VERB
When something affects someone or something else, it changes them in some way.
affection NOUN
Affection is a feeling of caring for someone.
afford affords, affording, afforded VERB
If you can afford something, you have enough money to buy it or do it.
afraid ADJECTIVE
Someone who is afraid thinks that something nasty might happen.
after PREPOSITION
If something happens after something else, it happens at a later time. Well watch television after supper.
afternoon afternoons NOUN
The afternoon is the time of day between 12 oclock (noon) and about six oclock in the evening.
afterwards ADVERB
If something happens afterwards, it happens after another event or time. We went swimming, and afterwards we had an ice cream.
again ADVERB
If you do something again, you do it once more.
against
PREPOSITION 1 If you play against someone, you are not on their side.
PREPOSITION 2 If you are against something, you are touching it and leaning on it. She felt tired and leaned against the tree.
age ages
NOUN 1 Your age is how old you are.
NOUN 2 An age is a special period in history, like the Stone Age.
ago ADVERB
If something happened four days ago, it is four days since it happened.
agree agrees, agreeing, agreed
VERB 1 If you agree with someone, you think the same about something.
VERB 2 If you agree to do something, you say you will do it.
agreement NOUN
ahead ADVERB
Something or someone who is ahead of you is in front of you.
My brother ran ahead of us.
aim aims, aiming, aimed
VERB 1 If you aim at something, you point a weapon at it.
VERB 2 If you aim to do something, you plan to do it.
air NOUN
Air is the mixture of gases that we breathe.
aircraft NOUN
An aircraft is a vehicle that flies. Helicopters and aeroplanes are aircraft.
airport airports NOUN
An airport is a place where aircraft land and take off.
alarm alarms
NOUN 1 An alarm is something like a bell or flashing light that warns you of something.
NOUN 2 Alarm is a feeling of fear.
He looked at the hungry bear in alarm.
album albums NOUN
An album is a book that you put things like stamps or photographs in.
alien aliens NOUN
In science fiction, an alien is a creature from outer space.
alight ADJECTIVE
If something is alight, it is burning.
alike ADJECTIVE
If two or more things are alike, they are the same in some way.
alive ADJECTIVE
If a person, animal or plant is alive, they are living now.
all ADJECTIVE
You say all when you mean the whole of a particular group or thing. Put all your toys away.
Allah NOUN
Allah is the Muslim name for God.
allergy allergies NOUN
If you have an allergy to something, it makes you ill. Tom has an allergy to nuts, so he must not eat them.
alley alleys NOUN
An alley is a narrow path with buildings or walls on both sides.
alligator alligators NOUN
An alligator is a reptile. It is of the same family as a crocodile, but smaller.
See Reptiles on page 264
alliteration NOUN
Alliteration is the use of words close together which begin with the same sound, for example hundreds of huge hairy horses.
allow allows, allowing, allowed VERB
If someone allows you to do something, they let you do it.
all right
ADJECTIVE 1 If someone is all right, they are well or safe. See if the babys all right.
INTERJECTION 2 You say all right if you agree to something.
almost ADVERB
Almost means very nearly, but not quite.
He tripped and almost fell.
alone ADJECTIVE
If you are alone, there is nobody with you.
along PREPOSITION
If you go along something, you move towards the end of it.
aloud ADVERB
If you read something aloud, you read it so that people can hear you.
alphabet alphabets NOUN
An alphabet is all the letters used to write words, written in a special order.
alphabetical ADJECTIVE
Alphabetical means arranged in the order of the letters of the alphabet. She read out the names on the register in alphabetical order.
already ADVERB
If you have done something already, you did it earlier.
also ADVERB
You say also when you want to add to something you have just said.
You say also when you want to add to something you have just said.
alter alters, altering, altered VERB
When you alter something, you change it in some way.
alternate alternates, alternating, alternated VERB
When two things alternate, they regularly happen one after the other. He alternates between being friendly and completely ignoring me.
although CONJUNCTION
You say although when you expected something different. Although my dad was cross, he still gave me my pocket money.
altogether ADVERB
If you say there are a number of things altogether, you are counting all of them. Ive picked four apples and youve picked two, so thats six altogether.
aluminium NOUN
Aluminium is a light, silver-coloured metal. It is used for making rolls of foil and containers like cans and pie dishes.
always
ADVERB 1 If you always do something, you do it every time. He always puts his things away when he has used them.
ADVERB 2 If something has always been so, it has been that way at all times. They have always been good friends.
a.m. ADVERB
a.m. is the time between midnight and noon. I get up at 7 a.m.
See p.m.
am VERB
Am is a present tense form of be used when you are talking about yourself. I am six years old.
See be
amaze amazes, amazing, amazed VERB
If something amazes you, it surprises you very much.
amazement NOUN
amazing ADJECTIVE
Something that is amazing is very surprising or wonderful.
ambition ambitions NOUN
If you have an ambition to do something, you want to do it very much.
ambulance ambulances NOUN
An ambulance is a vehicle that is used to take people to hospital.
among
PREPOSITION 1 If something is among a number of things, it is surrounded by them. He sat among piles of books.
PREPOSITION 2 If something is divided among several people, they all have a share.
amount amounts NOUN
An amount of something is how much there is of it.
amphibian amphibians NOUN
An amphibian is an animal that is able to live on land and in water.
amphibious ADJECTIVE
See Amphibians on page 264
amuse amuses, amusing, amused VERB
If you amuse somebody, you make them smile or stop them feeling bored.
an ADJECTIVE
An is a form of a used when the next sound is a vowel.
See a
analogue ADJECTIVE
An analogue watch or clock shows the time with hands that move round a dial.
See digital
anchor anchors NOUN
An anchor is a heavy metal hook on a long chain. It is dropped over the side of a boat to stop it moving.
ancient ADJECTIVE
If something is ancient, it is very old.
and CONJUNCTION
You use and to join two or more words or phrases together. I like chocolate, and my brother does too.
angel angels NOUN
Angels are beings some people believe act as messengers for God.
anger NOUN
Anger is the strong feeling you have about something that is unfair.
angle angles NOUN
An angle is the shape that is made when two lines or surfaces join. The size of an angle is measured in degrees.
angry angrier, angriest ADJECTIVE
If you feel angry, you are very cross.
angrily ADVERB
animal animals NOUN
Animals are living things which are not plants. Humans, dogs, birds, fish, reptiles and insects are all animals.
ankle ankles NOUN
Your ankle is the joint between your foot and your leg.
anniversary anniversaries NOUN
An anniversary is a day when you remember something special which happened on that date in an earlier year.
announce announces, announcing, announced VERB
If you announce something important, you tell people about it publicly. My sisters engagement was announced last week.
annoy annoys, annoying, annoyed VERB
If you do something which annoys someone, you make them cross.
annual annuals
ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is annual happens once a year, like a birthday.
NOUN 2 An annual is a book that comes out once a year.
another ADJECTIVE
Another means one more. Amy finished her chocolate and took another one immediately.
answer answers, answering, answered
VERB 1 When you answer, you say or write something to someone who has asked you a question.
NOUN 2 Your answer is what you say or write to a question.
ant ants NOUN
Ants are small insects which live in large groups called colonies.
See Insects on page 264
antelope antelopes NOUN
Antelopes are animals that look like deer, but their horns are not branch-shaped. They live in Africa and Asia.
anticlockwise ADVERB
If something goes anticlockwise, it moves in the opposite direction to the hands of a clock.
antique antiques NOUN
An antique is an old object which is valuable because it is beautiful or rare.
antiseptic antiseptics NOUN
An antiseptic is a substance that prevents infection by killing germs.
antonym antonyms NOUN
An antonym is a word that means the opposite of another word.
See Antonyms on page 273
anxious ADJECTIVE
Someone who is anxious is nervous or worried about something.
any
ADJECTIVE 1 Any means one, some, or several. Do you have any milk?
ADJECTIVE 2 Any can also mean even the smallest amount. I mustnt eat any nuts.
anybody PRONOUN
Anybody is any person.
anyone PRONOUN
Anyone is any person.
anything PRONOUN
Anything means any object, event, situation or action.
anywhere ADVERB
Anywhere means in, at or to any place. Just put it down anywhere.
apart ADJECTIVE
If something is apart from something else, there is a space between them. He stood with his feet apart.
ape apes NOUN
Apes are like monkeys but are larger and have no tails. Chimpanzees and gorillas are apes.
apologize apologizes, apologizing, apologized; also spelt apologise VERB
When you apologize, you say you are sorry for something you have done.
apology apologies NOUN
An apology is something you say or write to tell someone you are sorry.
apostrophe apostrophes NOUN
An apostrophe is a punctuation mark () used in contractions and to show belonging.
See Punctuation on page 270
apparatus NOUN
The apparatus for a particular task is the equipment you use for it.