(~s, ~ing, ~ed, or ~t)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
Note: British English usually uses the form '~t' as the past tense and past participle. American English usually uses '~ed'.
1.
If you ~, you jump high in the air or jump a long distance.
He had ~t from a window in the building and escaped...
The man threw his arms out as he ~t.
= jump
VERB: V prep/adv, V
•
Leap is also a noun.
Smith took Britain’s fifth medal of the championships with a ~ of 2.37 metres.
N-COUNT
2.
If you ~ somewhere, you move there suddenly and quickly.
The two men ~ed into the jeep and roared off...
With a terrible howl, he ~t forward and threw himself into the water.
VERB: V prep/adv, V prep/adv
3.
If a vehicle ~s somewhere, it moves there in a short sudden movement.
The car ~t forward.
VERB: V adv/prep
4.
A ~ is a large and important change, increase, or advance. (JOURNALISM)
The result has been a giant ~ in productivity.
...the ~ in the unemployed from 35,000 to 75,000...
Contemporary art has taken a huge ~ forward in the last five or six years.
N-COUNT: oft N in n
5.
If you ~ to a particular place or position, you make a large and important change, increase, or advance.
Warwicks ~ to third in the table, 31 points behind leaders Essex.
VERB: V prep
6.
If you ~ at a chance or opportunity, you accept it quickly and eagerly.
The post of principal of the theatre school became vacant and he ~t at the chance.
= jump
VERB: V at n
7.
You can use in ~s and bounds or by ~s and bounds to emphasize that someone or something is improving or increasing quickly and greatly.
He’s improved in ~s and bounds this season...
The total number of species on the planet appears to be growing by ~s and bounds.
PHRASE: usu PHR after v emphasis