Englishfor English speakers
con
—
noun
an argument opposed to a proposal
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verb
(= swindle, defraud, gyp)
deprive of by deceit
He swindled me out of my inheritance
She defrauded the customers who trusted her
the cashier gypped me when he gave me too little change
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adverb
in opposition to a proposition, opinion, etc
much was written pro and con
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noun
(= convict)
a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
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verb
(= memorize, memorise, learn)
commit to memory; learn by heart
Have you memorized your lines for the play yet?
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noun
(= bunco)
a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
eccentric
Adjective
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If something is eccentric, it is not placed at or in the centre of something.
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If a person is eccentric, they have a strange behavior.
eccentric
Noun
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An eccentric is a person who does not behave like others.
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A circle not having the same centre as another.
thread
Noun
—
A thread is a long, very thin, soft material used to join or make cloth.
She pushed the thread through the hole in the needle.
There were loose threads at the bottom of his pants.
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A thread is a process.
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A thread is a group of messages from a discussion on an Internet forum.
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A thread is a structure that allows a screw to be fastened.
thread
Verb
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If you thread something, then you make a string or thread out of it.
relief
Noun
—
or Relief is the good feeling you have when something bad is finished or didn't happen.
Most people are just breathing a sigh of relief that he's gone.
It was such a relief to see her safe.
I smiled with relief and thanks.
Relief flooded his body. He was safe.
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Relief is help given to people who have suffered disasters, such as an earthquake.
The government recently announced it was donating $150,000 to the Red Cross for disaster relief.
The government was slow in allowing foreign aid and foreign relief workers into the affected area.
Medicine, food and other relief supplies are blocked by closed border crossings.
Relief operations are running smoothly.
Our agency provided emergency relief after the 2005 earthquake.
The U.S.O.C. has donated 1,000 tents to help the relief effort in China's Sichuan Province.
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Pain relief is the reduction of pain.
After such injuries, pain relief is often the patient's priority.
Some patients return to the office over and over again, hoping to find relief for every symptom.
Exercising in warm water often brings immediate relief from pain.
A person might enjoy temporary relief from stress by playing games.
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Financial relief is the reduction of debt or taxes, or receiving money.
Tony Blair, is encouraging leaders of the richest nations to consider debt relief as a form of aid to impoverished nations.
Let's get tax relief, a middle class tax cut, for ordinary working families.
The majority of these people are poor and seeking economic relief for their families.
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Relief is somebody who will take over your difficult job to give you a rest.
2,0000 relief fighters arrived too late to save the city.
Who needs relief pitchers? Let the starting pitcher finish every game.
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Comic relief is something funny during a serious or difficult time.
A coworker who provides steady emotional support and comic relief can help you get through the day.
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A relief or bas relief is a kind of decoration in which a shape is raised above the surface.
—
If something stands out in relief, it is very noticeable.
His face and his right hand stand out in sharp relief against the blue background.
on
Preposition
—
positioned at the upper surface of, touching from above
The apple is on the table.
—
at the date of
Tim was born on the 4th of July.
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along, forwards (continuing an action)
drive on, rock on
—
about, dealing with the subject of
I have a book on history.
There was a World Summit on the Information Society a few weeks ago.
—
touching; hanging from
I have no money on me at the moment.
I would like to eat the fruit on the trees.
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because of, due to
He was arrested on suspicion of bribery.
I contacted Joanne on a hunch that she would know about it.
The stock price increased on news of a new product.
on
Adjective
—
If something is on, it is active, functioning or operating.
The television is on.
The lights are on, so it is very bright.
major
Adjective
—
A major change, problem, event, etc. is a big and important one.
We expected the change to cause a lot of problems, but in the end it wasn't as major as we had thought.
Tom Cruise had a major part in the movie. He directed it and acted in it as the main character.
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A major musical scale is the usual scale for music in western culture. The major scale starts two notes above the minor and more often sounds happy.
That music could be D minor or F major.
major
Noun
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A major is a subject area that is the main study of a student at a college or university.
My major is Speech-Language Pathology, which is about problems people may have with talking.
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A major is a military rank between captain and lieutenant-colonel.
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A major is a person of the legal age of majority.
major
Verb
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If you major in something, you concentrate on a single area of study as a student at a college or university.
My mother majored in English but I will major in psychology.
diameter
Noun
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The diameter of a circle is the distance from one point on the circumference of the circle to the point on the opposite side.
The diameter of that circle is 4 inches.