INDEX:
1. to make something
2. to make something quickly using whatever materials you have
3. when a natural process makes something
4. to make something into a particular shape
5. made by a person, not a machine
6. a person, organization or country that makes something
7. when something is made
8. something that is made
RELATED WORDS
to make someone do something : ↑ FORCE SB TO DO STH
to make a meal : ↑ COOK
to be made up of something : ↑ CONSIST OF
see also
↑ DO/NOT DO
↑ INVENT
↑ DESIGN
↑ BUILD/BUILDING
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1. to make something
▷ make /meɪk/ [transitive verb]
to produce something which did not exist before :
▪ Diane makes all her own clothes.
▪ The furniture was made by a Swedish firm.
▪ They’ve just finished making a movie about life during the Civil War.
▪ My camera was made in Taiwan.
make somebody something
▪ I’ll make you a coffee, shall I?
be made of something
to be made using a particular substance
▪ a bag made of leather
be made from something
to be made by putting together different materials, substances, or parts
▪ People were living in huts made from mud, stones, and straw.
make something out of/from something
▪ You could make some cushion covers out of those curtains.
▷ produce /prəˈdjuːsǁ-ˈduːs/ [transitive verb]
to make large quantities of food, equipment, or other goods by means of industrial processes :
▪ The dairy produced over 1500 tonnes of butter per year.
▪ They produce cheap goods for export to the United States.
▪ a factory that produces high-quality steel
▷ manufacture /ˌmænjɑˈfæktʃəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to make machines, equipment, cars etc in factories :
▪ He works for a small company manufacturing aluminium products.
▪ The car was designed, developed, and manufactured in collaboration with Honda.
▷ mass-produce /ˌmæs prəˈdjuːsǁ-ˈduːs/ [transitive verb]
to make goods in very large quantities using special industrial processes :
▪ Henry Ford made his fortune mass-producing the Model T.
▪ The bike is the first mass-produced bicycle to have full front and rear suspension.
▷ churn out/turn out /ˌtʃɜːʳn ˈaʊt, ˌtɜːʳn ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make large quantities of things, especially without caring about quality :
churn/turn out something
▪ They turn out cheap souvenirs for tourists.
▪ Churning out pamphlets and booklets is ineffective if consumers cannot understand the messages.
churn/turn something out
▪ As long as people keep buying these products, the company will keep turning them out.
▷ create /kriˈeɪt/ [transitive verb]
to invent something new and original in art, music, fashion etc :
▪ Picasso created a completely new style of painting.
▪ She wanted to create a garden to complement her beautiful home.
▪ This dish was created by master chef Marco Pierre White.
▷ fashion /ˈfæʃ ə n/ [transitive verb] formal
to make something using your hands or simple tools :
▪ Two million years ago our ancestors began to fashion stone tools.
fashion something from something
▪ The man had fashioned a turban from a strip of torn cloth.
▷ build /bɪld/ [transitive verb]
to make something complicated, especially a building, machine, or vehicle, by putting parts together :
▪ One of Jim’s hobbies is building model airplanes.
▪ John and his father built the cabin themselves.
build something by hand
build something without using machines
▪ Every single car is built by hand at the company’s headquarters near Turin.
▷ construct /kənˈstrʌkt/ [transitive verb]
to make something, especially something large, solid, and strong, by putting parts together :
▪ It is easy to construct a wooden framework for plants to grow against.
▪ Developers want to construct a replica of the 19th century steam yacht.
construct something from something
▪ The roof frames were constructed from thick, heavy timbers.
▷ assemble /əˈsemb ə l/ [transitive verb]
to make something such as a machine or a piece of furniture by putting together parts that have been made somewhere else :
▪ It’s one of those beds that you have to assemble yourself.
▪ Our kits are very easy to assemble.
▪ The apprentices worked in the shed where the new locomotives were assembled and the old ones repaired.
assembly [uncountable noun]
▪ Production had shifted completely to the assembly of wheelbarrows and other gardening equipment.
2. to make something quickly using whatever materials you have
▷ knock off/knock up informal /ˌnɒk ˈɒf, ˌnɒk ˈʌpǁˌnɑːk-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make something quickly and without using much effort :
knock off/up something
▪ She was always good on the sewing machine. She could knock off an outfit in two hours.
knock somebody up something
British
▪ I could knock you up a couple of poached eggs.
▷ throw together /ˈθrəʊ təˌgeðəʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make something quickly and not very carefully, especially because you are in a hurry :
throw together something
▪ Sheryl had thrown together his costume somewhat haphazardly.
throw something together
▪ We had 15 minutes to throw lunch together, eat, and get changed.
▷ rig up /ˌrɪg ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to quickly make something such as a piece of equipment that you only need for a short time, using various materials that you have available :
rig up something
▪ You don’t have blinds or curtains so you’ll need to rig up something to shut out the sunlight.
rig something up
▪ Can you rig a gate up to stop the dog getting into my room?
▪ There’s a shower rigged up at the back of the cabin.
▷ cobble together /ˌkɒb ə l təˈgeðəʳǁˌkɑː-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to quickly and roughly make something by hand, using a few simple materials :
cobble together something
▪ She cobbled together a tent from a few pieces of string and a sheet.
cobble something together into something
▪ We were always searching for bits of junk we could cobble together into something artistic.
▷ run up /ˌrʌn ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb] British
to quickly make a piece of clothing or some curtains, especially using a sewing machine :
▪ There’s a woman at the end of our street who will run up some curtains for me.
▪ ‘I like your dress.’ ‘Oh, thank you. It’s just something I ran up last night.’
▷ improvise /ˈɪmprəvaɪz/ [transitive verb]
to make something using whatever you have available, when you do not have the correct materials :
▪ They had improvised an alarm, using string and empty cans.
improvise something out of something
▪ I improvised a sling for his arm out of a strip of cloth.
improvised [adjective only before noun]
▪ He was standing on an improvised stage.
▪ an improvised shelter
▷ makeshift /ˈmeɪkʃɪft/ [adjective usually before noun]
made using any materials or objects that are available at the time in order to be used only for a short time :
▪ Using an old tree-trunk as a makeshift table, we ate our picnic.
▪ When we reached the river we found that the makeshift bridge had been swept away.
▪ They rigged up the canvas boat-cover as a makeshift sail.
3. when a natural process makes something
▷ form /fɔːʳm/ [transitive verb]
if a natural process or chemical reaction forms something, it makes it, especially over a period of time :
▪ Hydrogen and oxygen combine to form water.
▪ Coal is formed naturally from decomposed organic matter.
▷ produce /prəˈdjuːsǁ-ˈduːs/ [transitive verb]
if a natural process or part of your body produces a substance, it makes it, usually for a particular purpose :
▪ The stomach produces acids which help to digest food.
▪ Carbon dioxide is produced during respiration.
▷ create /kriˈeɪt/ [transitive verb]
if a natural process creates something, it makes something that was not there before :
▪ Land movement created the Alps.
▪ A bullet exceeding the speed of sound creates two shock waves.
▪ We found that this chemical process created hydrogen chloride as a by-product.
▷ generate /ˈdʒenəreɪt/ [transitive verb]
generate electricity/heat/power
to produce a lot of electricity, heat etc :
▪ The friction between the satellite and the atmosphere generates great heat.
▪ France generates a large part of its electricity from nuclear power.
4. to make something into a particular shape
▷ form /fɔːʳm/ [transitive verb]
to make something into a particular shape, especially with your hands :
▪ She cut away the corners to form a circle.
form something into something
▪ With a few clever twists, he had formed the balloon into the shape of a dog.
▷ mould British /mold American /məʊld/ [transitive verb]
to make clay or some other soft material into a particular shape by pressing it or putting it into a special hollow object :
▪ Her movements were quick and graceful, like those of a potter moulding clay.
mould something into something
▪ Mould the sausage meat into little balls.
moulded/molded [adjective]
▪ a tool with a moulded rubber handle
▷ shape /ʃeɪp/ [transitive verb]
to make a soft material into a particular shape, especially by using your hands :
▪ Gel is great for holding and shaping shorter hairstyles.
shape something into something
▪ She had soaked the leather to bend and shape it into the form of a small shoe.
5. made by a person, not a machine
▷ handmade /ˌhændˈmeɪd◂/ [adjective]
use this about furniture, clothes etc that are made by skilled workers, not by machines in a factory :
▪ All our goods are handmade, and we use only natural materials.
▪ a beautiful handmade rug
▷ homemade /ˌhəʊmˈmeɪd◂/ [adjective]
use this about food and drinks that are made at home, not in a factory :
▪ Try one of these homemade cookies. They’re delicious.
▪ a bowl of homemade soup
6. a person, organization or country that makes something
▷ maker /ˈmeɪkəʳ/ [countable noun]
a company or person whose business is to make things to be sold, either by hand or using machines :
maker of
▪ Makers of cars often think more about speed than about safety.
car/film/wine etc maker
▪ The wine maker has to decide when the crop is ready for picking.
▪ Personal computer makers are likely to face continued pressure to keep prices low.
▷ producer /prəˈdjuːsəʳǁ-ˈduː-/ [countable noun]
a company or country that makes large quantities of something to be sold :
▪ Many producers are being forced to cut costs and use cheaper materials.
producer of
▪ Japan is the biggest producer of stereo equipment.
oil/car/champagne etc producer
▪ OPEC is an organization of 13 major oil producers.
▷ manufacturer /ˌmænjɑˈfæktʃ ə rəʳ/ [countable noun]
a company that makes things in large quantities, especially in a factory :
▪ Complaints should be sent to the manufacturer.
manufacturer of
▪ Alubend is one of the country’s biggest manufacturers of aluminium tubes.
clothing/bicycle/TV etc manufacturer
▪ Clothing manufacturers have also felt the effects of the recession, as people spend less on clothes.
7. when something is made
▷ production /prəˈdʌkʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
when something is produced - use this especially about the number of things produced in a factory or in a particular industry :
▪ As demand for the drug has grown, cocaine production has skyrocketed.
▪ Bulmers will be making around 40 million gallons of cider this year -- half Britain’s total production.
production of
▪ Most caustic soda is used in the production of aluminium.
▷ output /ˈaʊtpʊt/ [countable noun]
the number of things made in a particular factory, industry, or country :
▪ Output is up 30% on last year.
▪ In manufacturing alone, smaller firms account for one in three jobs and a quarter of the total output.
output of
▪ There has been a huge increase in the output of children’s books.
▷ manufacturing/manufacturing industry /ˌmænjɑˈfæktʃ ə rɪŋ, ˌmænjɑˈfæktʃ ə rɪŋ ˌɪndəstri/ [uncountable noun]
the part of industry that produces goods in factories :
▪ We now have fewer factories and fewer workers in manufacturing than a decade ago.
▪ In recent years, Botswana’s manufacturing industry has grown and the country produces soap and dairy produce.
▷ manufacture /ˌmænjɑˈfæktʃəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
when goods are produced in factories :
▪ Systems of this type have been used in car manufacture.
the manufacture of something
▪ The firm now employs 640 people in the manufacture of frozen foods.
▷ the creation of something /ðə kriˈeɪʃ ə n əv something/ [noun phrase]
when something such as a new system, organization, or way of doing something is started :
▪ The report proposed the creation of an independent Scottish parliament.
▪ the creation of an information system for senior managers
▷ industry /ˈɪndəstri/ [countable/uncountable noun]
when things are made in factories in order to be sold, or a company that does this :
▪ Government money was poured into the economy in order to encourage industry.
manufacturing industry
▪ Manufacturing industry was virtually wiped out in the UK during the 1980s.
the steel/clothing/electronics etc industry
▪ Wages in the clothing industry were found to be lower than in any other sector.
8. something that is made
▷ product /ˈprɒdʌktǁˈprɑː-/ [countable noun]
something that a company makes in large quantities in order to sell it :
▪ a new range of skin-care products
▪ There was a ban on meat pies, gelatine, and other British beef products.
product development
the work of developing good new products
▪ We spend a lot of money on product development.