I. NOUN USES, QUANTIFIER USES, AND PHRASES
(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
Please look at category 18 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
A ~ of something is one of the pieces, sections, or elements that it consists of.
I like that ~ of Cape Town...
Respect is a very important ~ of any relationship.
N-COUNT: usu N of n
2.
A ~ for a machine or vehicle is one of the smaller pieces that is used to make it.
...spare ~s for military equipment...
= component
N-COUNT
3.
Part of something is some of it.
It was a very severe accident and he lost ~ of his foot...
Mum and he were able to walk ~ of the way together...
QUANT: QUANT of sing-n/n-uncount
4.
If you say that something is ~ one thing, ~ another, you mean that it is to some extent the first thing and to some extent the second thing.
The television producer today has to be ~ news person, ~ educator...
= half
ADV: ADV n, ADV adj
5.
You can use ~ when you are talking about the proportions of substances in a mixture. For example, if you are told to use five ~s water to one ~ paint, the mixture should contain five times as much water as paint.
Use turpentine and linseed oil, three ~s to two.
N-COUNT
6.
A ~ in a play or film is one of the roles in it which an actor or actress can perform.
Alf Sjoberg offered her a large ~ in the play he was directing...
He was just right for the ~.
= role
N-COUNT
7.
Your ~ in something that happens is your involvement in it.
If only he could conceal his ~ in the accident...
= involvement
N-SING: poss N in n
8.
If something or someone is ~ of a group or organization, they belong to it or are included in it.
I was a ~ of the team and wanted to remain a ~ of the team.
N-UNCOUNT: also a N, N of n
9.
The ~ in someone’s hair is the line running from the front to the back of their head where their hair lies in different directions. (AM; in BRIT, use ~ing )
N-COUNT
10.
see also private ~s
11.
If something or someone plays a large or important ~ in an event or situation, they are very involved in it and have an important effect on what happens.
These days work plays an important ~ in a single woman’s life...
PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR in n/-ing
12.
If you take ~ in an activity, you do it together with other people.
Thousands of students have taken ~ in demonstrations.
PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR in n/-ing
13.
When you are describing people’s thoughts or actions, you can say for her ~ or for my ~, for example, to introduce what a ~icular person thinks or does. (FORMAL)
For my ~, I feel elated and close to tears...
PHRASE: PHR with cl
14.
If you talk about a feeling or action on someone’s ~, you are referring to something that they feel or do.
There is no need for any further instructions on my ~...
PHRASE: PHR with cl/group
15.
For the most ~ means mostly or usually.
Professors, for the most ~, are firmly committed to teaching, not research.
= by and large
PHRASE: PHR with cl
16.
You use in ~ to indicate that something exists or happens to some extent but not completely. (FORMAL)
The levels of blood glucose depend in ~ on what you eat and when you eat...
= ~ly
PHRASE: PHR with cl/group
17.
If you say that something happened for the best ~ or the better ~ of a period of time, you mean that it happened for most of that time.
He had been in Israel for the best ~ of twenty-four hours...
= most of
PHRASE: PHR n
18.
~ and parcel: see parcel
II. VERB USES
(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
Please look at category 5 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If things that are next to each other ~ or if you ~ them, they move in opposite directions, so that there is a space between them.
Her lips ~ed as if she were about to take a deep breath...
He crossed to the window of the sitting-room and ~ed the curtains.
= open
VERB: V, V n
2.
If you ~ your hair in the middle or at one side, you make it lie in two different directions so that there is a straight line running from the front of your head to the back.
Picking up a brush, Joanna ~ed her hair...
His hair was slicked back and neatly ~ed.
VERB: V n, V-ed
3.
When two people ~, or if one person ~s from another, they leave each other. (FORMAL)
He gave me the envelope and we ~ed...
He has confirmed he is ~ing from his Swedish-born wife Eva.
V-RECIP: pl-n V, V from n
4.
If you are ~ed from someone you love, you are prevented from being with them.
I don’t believe Lotte and I will ever be ~ed...
A stay in hospital may be the first time a child is ever ~ed from its parents.
= separated
V-RECIP: pl-n be V-ed, be V-ed from n
5.
to ~ company: see company
see also ~ing