Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

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Collins Dictionaries

Год написания книги

2019

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acid acids

NOUN 1 a chemical substance. Strong acids can damage skin, cloth and metal, for example sulphuric acid. Other acids, such as those found in citrus fruit and vinegar, are harmless.

ANTONYM: alkali

ADJECTIVE 2 If something has an acid taste, it tastes sharp or bitter.

ANTONYM: alkaline

[from Latin acidus meaning sour]

acid rain

NOUN rain that has been polluted by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil

acknowledge acknowledges, acknowledging, acknowledged

VERB 1 If you acknowledge a fact or a situation, you admit that it is true.

2 If you acknowledge someone, you show that you have seen and recognized them, by waving or saying hello.

3 If you acknowledge a message or a letter, you tell the person who sent it that you have received it.

acne

NOUN a skin disease that causes spots on the face and neck. Acne is common among teenagers.

acorn acorns

NOUN a nut that grows on oak trees

acquaintance acquaintances

NOUN someone you know slightly but not well

acre acres

NOUN a unit for measuring land. One acre is equal to 4840 square yards or about 4047 square metres.

acrobat acrobats

NOUN an entertainer who performs difficult gymnastic acts

[from Greek akrobates meaning someone who walks on tiptoe]

acrobatic ADJECTIVE

acrobatics PLURAL NOUN

acronym acronyms

NOUN a word made up of the initial letters of a phrase • NATO is an acronym, and stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

across

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 1 If you go across a place, you go from one side of it to the other. • We walked across Hyde Park.

2 Something that is situated across a road or river is on the other side of it.

act acts, acting, acted

VERB 1 If you act, you do something. • We have to act quickly in an emergency.

2 If you act in a particular way, you behave in that way. • You’re acting like a baby.

3 If you act in a play or film, you play a role in it.

NOUN 4 a single thing someone does • The rescue was a brave act.

5 An Act of Parliament is a law passed by the government.

6 Stage plays are divided into parts called acts.

action actions

NOUN 1 something you do for a particular purpose

2 a physical movement, such as jumping

active

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is active moves around a lot or does a lot of things.

2 In grammar the active, or the active voice, is the form of the verb in which the subject of the sentence is the person or thing doing the action, rather than having it done to them. For example, the sentence The dog bit Ben is in the active voice. In the passive voice the subject is acted upon: Ben was bitten by the dog.

ANTONYM: passive

activity activities

NOUN 1 a situation in which a lot of things are happening at the same time • There was a great deal of activity in the hall as we got ready for the school play.

2 something you do for pleasure, such as gymnastics or music

actor actors

NOUN a man or woman whose job is performing in plays or films

actress actresses