(~r, ~st)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ thing or person is greater in size than usual or average.
The Pike lives mainly in ~ rivers and lakes...
In the ~st room about a dozen children and seven adults are sitting on the carpet...
He was a ~ man with thick dark hair.
= big
? small
ADJ
2.
A ~ amount or number of people or things is more than the average amount or number.
The gang finally fled with a ~ amount of cash and jewellery...
There are a ~ number of centres where you can take full-time courses...
The figures involved are truly very ~.
? small
ADJ
3.
A ~ organization or business does a lot of work or commercial activity and employs a lot of people.
...a ~ company in Chicago...
Many ~ organizations run courses for their employees.
= big
? small
ADJ
4.
Large is used to indicate that a problem or issue which is being discussed is very important or serious.
...the already ~ problem of under-age drinking...
There’s a very ~ question about the viability of the newspaper.
= serious
ADJ: usu ADJ n
5.
You use at ~ to indicate that you are talking in a general way about most of the people mentioned.
I think the chances of getting reforms accepted by the community at ~ remain extremely remote...
= in general
PHRASE: n PHR
6.
If you say that a dangerous person, thing, or animal is at ~, you mean that they have not been captured or made safe.
The man who tried to have her killed is still at ~.
= free
PHRASE: v-link PHR
7.
You use by and ~ to indicate that a statement is mostly but not completely true.
By and ~, the papers greet the government’s new policy document with a certain amount of scepticism.
= on the whole
PHRASE: PHR with cl
8.
to a ~ extent: see extent
~r than life: see life
in ~ measure: see measure