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ab‧duct /ëb"dškt, æb-/ [transitive]
to take someone away by force [= kidnap]:
She was abducted late last night.
—abductor noun [countable]
—abduction /ëb"dškÐÊn, æb-/ noun [uncountable and countable]
child abduction
—abductee /;æbdšk"ti:/ noun [countable] |
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unable to control the passing of liquid or solid waste from your body
—incontinence noun [uncountable] |
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to dislike and have a low opinion of someone or something:
She despised her neighbours. |
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[countable]
a short story based on your personal experience:
The book is full of amusing anecdotes about his life in Japan. |
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1) an animal that kills and eats other animals [↪ prey]
2) someone who tries to use another person's weakness to get
advantages:
- a sexual predator |
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worried or nervous about something that you are going to do, or about the future
apprehensive about/of
We'd been a little apprehensive about their visit.
apprehensive that
I was apprehensive that something would go wrong.
Some had apprehensive looks on their faces.
—apprehensively adverb:
'What's wrong?' I asked apprehensively. |
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con‧tem‧plate /"kãntëmpleût $ "kä:n-/
1 [transitive] to think about something that you might do in the future [= consider]:
He had even contemplated suicide.
contemplate doing something
Did you ever contemplate resigning?
2 [transitive] to accept the possibility that something is true
too dreadful/horrifying etc to contemplate
The thought that she might be dead was too terrible to contemplate.
3 [intransitive and transitive] to think about something seriously for a period of time [= consider]:
Jack went on vacation to contemplate his future.
contemplate what/whether/how etc
She sat down and contemplated what she had done.
contemplate your navel (=think so much about your own life that you do not notice other important things - used humorously)
4 [transitive] to look at someone or something for a period of time in a way that shows you are thinking:
He contemplated her with a faint smile. |
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| (fromal)inclement weather is unpleasantly cold, wet etc |
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pro‧pen‧si‧ty /prë"pensÂti/ plural propensities [countable usually singular]
formal a natural tendency to behave in a particular way
propensity to do something
the male propensity to fight
propensity for
He seems to have a propensity for breaking things. |
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Term
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1 ancillary workers/staff etcMN workers who provide additional help and services for the people who do the main work in hospitals, schools etc
2 formal connected with or supporting something else, but less important than it:
Agreement was reached on several ancillary matter |
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1 a volatile situation is likely to change suddenly and without warning:
an increasingly volatile political situation
the highly volatile stock and bond markets
2 someone who is volatile can suddenly become angry or violent
3HC technical a volatile liquid or substance changes easily into a gas
—volatility /;vãlë"tûlÂti $ ;vä:-/ noun [uncountable] |
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if you are undeterred by something, you do not allow it to stop you doing what you want
undeterred by
Undeterred by his early failures, he decided to keep writing. |
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doing something openly, without showing or feeling any shame:
She smiled at him brazenly. |
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showing that something is likely to be successful [≠ inauspicious]
auspicious start/beginning
Saccani's excellent recording is an auspicious start to what promises to be a distinguished musical career.
—auspiciously adverb |
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friendly and easy to like:
The driver was an amiable young man.
She was in an amiable mood.
—amiably adverb
—amiability /;eûmië"bûlÂti/ noun [uncountable] |
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someone who is lanky is tall and thin, and moves awkwardly [= gangling]:
a lanky young man
—lankiness noun [uncountable] |
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involving a lot of strength and effort
arduous task/work
the arduous task of loading all the boxes into the van
arduous journey/voyage
an arduous journey through the mountains
—arduously adverb |
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