Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

adolescence noun [U ]
the period of time in a person's life when they are developing into an adult
a troubled adolescence
yet another novel about the joys and sorrows of adolescence

affluence noun [U]

What we are seeing increasingly is a society of private affluence and public squalor.

arrange verb PUT IN POSITION

2.

[T] to put something in a particular order

She arranged her birthday cards along the shelf.
Who arranged these flowers so beautifully?
His books are neatly arranged in alphabetical order.

attractive adjective
very pleasing in appearance or sound, or causing interest or pleasure
a very attractive young woman
I find him very attractive (= He attracts me sexually).
attractive countryside
an attractive colour scheme
Spending 12 hours on a plane isn't a very attractive (= pleasant) prospect.
an attractive offer (= an offer with benefits for me)
We need to make the club attractive to a wider range of people.

befall verb [I or T ] (befell, befallen) OLD USE

If something bad or dangerous befalls you, it happens to you
Should any harm befall me on my journey, you may open this letter.

capitalize , UK USUALLY capitalise verb MONEY

2. [T often passive] to supply money to a business so that it can develop or operate as it should
capitalize on sth phrasal verb
to use a situation to your own advantage
She capitalized on her knowledge and experience to get a new and better paid job.

clientele noun [S + sing/pl verb ]

all the customers of a business when they are considered as a group
The nightclub has a very fashionable clientele.

clique noun [C + sing/pl verb ] DISAPPROVING

a small group of people who spend their time together and do not welcome other people into that
group
Our golf club is run by a very unfriendly clique (of people).
There's a clique at work that never talks/who never talk to anyone else.

considerably adverb
He's considerably fatter than he was when I knew him.

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

demystify verb [T ]
to make something easier to understand
What I need is a book that will demystify the workings of a car engine for me.

depiction noun [C or U ]
the way that something is represented or shown
The painter's depictions of the horror of war won her a worldwide reputation.
I disapprove of the depiction of violence on television.

dietary adjective
relating to your diet
Dietary habits can be very difficult to change.
Do you have any special dietary requirements?

discourage verb [T ] PREVENT

2. to prevent or try to prevent something happening or someone doing something, by making things
difficult or unpleasant, or by showing disapproval
a campaign to discourage people from smoking
The authorities have put tanks on the streets to discourage any protest.

dismiss verb FORGET

1.

[T] to decide that something or someone is not important and not worth considering
I think he'd dismissed me as an idiot within five minutes of meeting me.
Let's not just dismiss the idea before we've even thought about it.
Just dismiss those thoughts from your mind - they're crazy and not worth thinking about.

disprove verb [T ]
to prove that something is not true
The allegations have been disproved.

domesticate verb [T often passive ]

to bring animals or plants under human control in order to provide food, power or companionship
Dogs were probably the first animals to be domesticated.

exposure noun EXPERIENCE

1. [C or U] when someone experiences something or is affected by it because they are in a particular
situation or place
You should always limit your exposure to the sun.
Even a brief exposure to radiation is very dangerous.

fascinating adjective
extremely interesting
The book offers a fascinating glimpse of the lives of the rich and famous.
I found the whole film fascinating.

foreseeable adjective
1. A foreseeable event or situation is one that can be known about or guessed before it happens.
2. in/for the foreseeable future

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

as far into the future as you can imagine or plan for
I'll certainly carry on living here for the foreseeable future.
He asked me if there was any point in the foreseeable future when I'd like to have children.

halt verb [I or T ]
to (cause to) stop moving or doing something or happening
"Halt!" called the guard. "You can't go any further without a permit."
Production has halted at all of the company's factories because of the pay dispute.
Security forces halted the demonstrators by blocking the road.
infringe on/upon sth phrasal verb
If something infringes on/upon someone's rights or freedom, it takes away some of their rights or
limits their freedom
These restrictions infringe upon basic human rights.

longevity noun [U ] FORMAL

living for a long time
To what do you attribute your longevity?

loyal adjective
firm and not changing in your friendship with or support for a person or an organization, or in your
belief in your principles
Jack has been a loyal worker in this company for almost 50 years.
When all her other friends deserted her, Steve remained loyal.
She's very loyal to her friends.

merge verb
1.

[I or T] to combine or join together, or to cause things to do this

They decided to merge the two companies into one.
The country's two biggest banks are planning to merge.
After a while the narrow track merges with a wider path.
2. [I] US FOR filter in

monotonous adjective
staying the same and not changing and therefore boring
a monotonous job
a monotonous voice
The music became monotonous after a while.

notion noun [C or U ]
(a) belief or idea
[+ that] The programme makers reject the notion that seeing violence on television has a harmful
effect on children.
I have only a vague notion of what she does for a living.

opt verb [I ]
to make a choice, especially for one thing or possibility in preference to any others
Mike opted for early retirement.
[+ to infinitive] Most people opt to have the operation.

Cambridge University Press 2008

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

pace noun SPEED

1.

[U] the speed at which someone or something moves, or with which something happens or
changes
a slow/fast pace
When she thought she heard someone following her, she quickened her pace.
Could you slow down a bit - I can't keep pace with (= walk or run as fast as) you.
For many years this company has set the pace (= has been the most successful company) in the
communications industry.
These changes seem to me to be happening at too fast a pace.
I don't like the pace of modern life.
2. force the pace
to make other people in a race go faster by going faster yourself

pace noun STEP

3. [C] a single step, or the distance you move when you take a single step
Take two paces forwards/backwards.
The runner collapsed just a few paces from the finish.

patron noun [C ] CUSTOMER

2. FORMAL a person who uses a particular shop, restaurant, hotel, etc., especially regularly; a
customer
Will patrons kindly note that this shop will be closed on 17th July.

pool noun COLLECTION

4. [C] a number of people or a quantity of a particular thing, such as money, collected together for
shared use by several people or organizations
Patrick crashed a Ford that he'd borrowed from the car pool at work.
As unemployment rises, the pool of cheap labour increases.

portray verb [T ]
1.

to represent or describe someone or something in a painting, film, book or other artistic work
The painting portrays a beautiful young woman in a blue dress.
The writer portrays life in a small village at the turn of the century.
2. portray sb as sth
If a person in a film, book, etc. is portrayed as a particular type of character, they are
represented in that way
The father in the film is portrayed as a fairly unpleasant character.

preposterous adjective FORMAL

very silly or stupid
The very idea is preposterous!
a preposterous suggestion

prevalent adjective
existing very commonly or happening often
These diseases are more prevalent among young children.
Trees are dying in areas where acid rain is most prevalent.

prize verb REWARD

2. [T often passive] to think that someone or something is very valuable or important

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

In parts of Asia this plant is prized for its medicinal qualities.
I prize that intimacy above everything.

prosperous adjective
successful, usually by earning a lot of money
In a prosperous country like this, no one should go hungry.

pursuit noun ATTEMPT

3. [U] when you try to achieve a plan, activity or situation, usually over a long period of time
the pursuit of happiness
The company is ruthless in its pursuit of profit.
The union is on strike in pursuit of (= the act of trying to achieve) a 10% pay increase.

questionable adjective [+ question word ]

not certain, or wrong in some way
It is questionable whether this goal can be achieved.
Much of late-night television is of questionable value/taste.

refrain verb [I ] FORMAL

to avoid doing or stop yourself from doing something
We refrained from talking until we knew that it was safe.
The sign on the wall said "Please refrain from smoking."

regimen noun [C ] FORMAL

any set of rules about food and exercise that someone follows, especially in order to improve their
health
After his heart attack the doctor put him on a strict regimen.

retain verb [T ]
1. SLIGHTLY FORMAL to keep or continue to have something
She has lost her battle to retain control of the company.
He managed to retain his dignity throughout the performance.
She succeeded in retaining her lead in the second half of the race.
I have a good memory and am able to retain (= remember) facts easily.
2. SLIGHTLY FORMAL If a substance retains something, such as heat or water, it continues to hold or
contain it
The sea retains the sun's warmth longer than the land.
3. LEGAL to get the services of a lawyer by paying them before you need them

rift noun [C ]
1. a large crack in the ground or in rock
The stream had cut a deep rift in the rock.
2. a serious disagreement which separates two people who have been friends and stops their
friendship continuing
The marriage caused a rift between the brothers and they didn't speak to each other for ten
years.

segregate verb [T ]
1. to keep one group of people apart from another and treat them differently, especially because of
race or sex

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

a segregated school/society
Blacks were segregated from whites in every area of life.
2. to keep one thing separate from another
The systems will have to be able to segregate clients' money from the firm's own cash.

simultaneously adverb
Two children answered the teacher's question simultaneously.

span verb TIME

2. [T] (-nn-) to exist or continue for a particular length of time
Tennis has a history spanning several centuries.
Her acting career spanned almost six decades.

spur verb [T ] (-rr-) ENCOURAGE

1. to encourage an activity or development or make it happen faster
Rising consumer sales have the effect of spurring the economy to faster growth.
Spurred (on) by her early success, she went on to write four more novels in rapid succession.

stable adjective
1.

firmly fixed or not likely to move or change

If the foundations of the house aren't stable, collapse is possible.
After several part-time jobs, he's now got a stable job in a bank.
The hospital said she was in a stable condition (= not likely to get worse) following the operation.
2. describes someone who is mentally healthy
She seems more stable these days.
3. SPECIALIZED describes a substance that keeps the same chemical or atomic state

stimulation noun [U ]
when something causes someone or something to become more active or enthusiastic, or to develop
or operate
While she was at home looking after her children, she felt deprived of intellectual stimulation.
SPECIALIZED Electric stimulation can help to heal fractured bones.

stint noun [C ]
a fixed or limited period of time spent doing a particular job or activity
He has just finished a stint of compulsory military service.
Perhaps her most productive period was her five-year stint as a foreign correspondent in New
York.

swell verb (swelled, swollen or swelled)

1.

[I or T] to become larger and rounder than usual; to (cause to) increase in size or amount
It was obvious she had broken her toe, because it immediately started to swell (up).
Twenty-five employees have joined the union in this month alone, swelling its ranks (= increasing
its size) to 110.
LITERARY His heart/breast swelled with pride (= He felt very proud) as he stood watching his son
graduate.
2. [I] If music swells, it becomes louder.

taboo noun [C ] (plural taboos)

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Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

(an action or word) avoided for religious or social reasons

In this society there is a taboo on/against any sort of public display of affection.
For some people, death is a taboo subject.
in tandem
1. at the same time
The heart and lungs will be transplanted in tandem.
2. If two pieces of equipment, people, etc. are working in tandem, they are working together, especially
well or closely
I want these two groups to work/operate in tandem on this project.

threshold noun ENTRANCE

1. [C] the floor of an entrance to a building or room
track sth/sb down phrasal verb [M ]
to find something or someone after looking for them in a lot of different places
He finally managed to track down the book he wanted.

vibrant adjective
1. energetic, exciting and full of enthusiasm
a vibrant young performer
a vibrant personality
a vibrant city
The hope is that this area will develop into a vibrant commercial centre.
2. describes colour or light that is bright and strong
He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings.

vivacious adjective APPROVING

A vivacious person, especially a woman or girl, is attractively energetic and enthusiastic
He brought along his wife, a vivacious blonde, some twenty years his junior.

withdraw verb (withdrew, withdrawn) REMOVE

1.

[I or T] to take or move out or back, or to remove

This credit card allows you to withdraw up to 200 a day from cash dispensers.
The UN has withdrawn its troops from the country.
Eleven million bottles of water had to be withdrawn from sale due to a health scare.
Once in court, he withdrew the statement he'd made to the police (= he claimed it was false).
All charges against them were withdrawn after the prosecution's case collapsed.
FORMAL After lunch, we withdrew into her office to finish our discussion in private.
MAINLY UK The team captain was forced to withdraw from the match due to injury.
Following his nervous breakdown, he withdrew from public life and refused to give any interviews.

make matters worse

to make the situation even more unpleasant or difficult
Don't say anything - you'll only make matters worse.

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