I.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a positive thought
▪
Think positive thoughts.
abstract thought (= thinking about ideas )
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Human beings are the only creatures capable of abstract thought .
banish the memory/thought/image etc (of sb/sth)
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They tried to banish the memory from their minds.
careful consideration/attention/thought
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Careful consideration has been given to all applications.
clarity of vision/purpose/thought etc
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Churchill’s clarity of vision impressed all who knew him.
comforting thought
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With this comforting thought , Harry fell asleep.
conjure up images/pictures/thoughts etc (of sth)
▪
Dieting always seems to conjure up images of endless salads.
dismiss a thought
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Was he lying? I tried to dismiss the thought.
disturb sb's thoughts
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A gentle knock on the door disturbed his thoughts.
dread the thought/prospect of (doing) sth
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He dreaded the prospect of being all alone in that house.
let your gaze/eyes/thoughts/mind etc drift
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Idly she let her eyes drift over his desk.
lost in thought
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Harry just stood there, lost in thought .
marshal your thoughts/arguments etc
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He paused for a moment as if to marshal his thoughts.
pause for thought
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'Of course,' she replied, without pausing for thought.
popularly believed/thought/called etc
▪
Vitamin C is popularly believed to prevent colds.
rational thought
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Babies were thought to be incapable of rational thought.
relish the prospect/thought/idea
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I don’t relish the thought of you walking home alone.
shuddered at the thought of
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He shuddered at the thought of the conflict ahead.
sobering thought
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It was a sobering thought .
strand of thought/opinion/argument
▪
Plato draws all the strands of the argument together.
Take no thought for the morrow (= do not worry about the future )
▪
Take no thought for the morrow .
the thought has (never) crossed my mind (= used to tell someone you have thought of the thing they are suggesting, or have never thought of it )
the very idea/thought (= just an idea or suggestion )
▪
The very idea of acting on stage scares the pants off me.
thought long and hard
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He had thought long and hard before getting involved with the project.
thought longingly
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She thought longingly of returning to Paris.
turn your attention/thoughts/efforts etc to sth/sb
▪
Many investors have turned their attention to opportunities abroad.
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Phil turned his gaze towards the older man.
well thought of
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Her work is well thought of in academic circles.
wince at the memory/thought/idea
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I still wince at the thought of that terrible evening.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
I should have thought ...
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And marriage, I should have thought , is a false step you must have been well warned against.
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Any leader, I should have thought , would have demanded loyalty and support from a vice-president as a basic minimum.
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It's very important to me - and, I should have thought , to you too.
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She's a pretty child, but hardly his intellectual level, I should have thought .
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That is rather obvious, I should have thought .
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The royal crest is used on the front of the annual report, which I should have thought was improper.
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The scent of the tea as I poured it ... I should have thought .
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This seems an odd argument for smoking to me and, I should have thought , to smokers, too.
I thought (that)
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I thought the dishwasher was broken, did you get it fixed?
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I thought we could go to the lake this weekend.
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He has to be held accountable, just like everyone else. I thought something was going to happen.
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I began throwing punches whenever I thought no one was looking.
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I had an extremely mature view about these proceedings. I thought that Victoria Lum was a super wupo.
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In fact, I thought living by a highway made me special.
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Now that I was alone I thought bitterly of the people I lived with.
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The drive is spectacular: gorges and tropical rain forests and waterfalls on every hand, but I thought only of Poppy.
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When the band became serious, I thought this is a far more contemporary and interesting way to make an artistic statement.
I thought as much
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"Andy failed his driving test." "I thought as much when I saw his face."
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I must confess I felt a trifle guilty about your lonely watch: nothing to report? I thought as much.
a penny for your thoughts/a penny for them
collect yourself/collect your thoughts
compose your face/features/thoughts
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He held out his hand to his junior master and composed his face into a solemn expression of trust.
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I compose my face into a smile.
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I tried to compose my features into a combination of nonchalance and justification.
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They had composed their faces, but their eyes sparkled and their mouths yearned to smile.
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When asked a question do not rush at your answer but give yourself a second or two to compose your thoughts.
deep in thought/conversation etc
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Anthea and the professor had been deep in conversation with an eager group of ladies from Leicester, leaving Meryl momentarily alone.
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Clarence and the mayor were still deep in conversation.
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He was deep in conversation with the daughter of the house, a little girl of about twelve.
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The boy-him, he had to remind himself-looked deep in thought.
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The Count was deep in conversation with the mayor, who was staring down at his feet.
entertain an idea/hope/thought etc
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He had entertained thoughts of marrying her and raising a family, but he entered the Society instead.
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Most significantly on my sense of a distant but still valid national identity-until then I had entertained hopes of return.
food for thought
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The study on poverty certainly offers food for thought to America's leaders.
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And there is plenty of food for thought.
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He never got past the words food for thought.
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Ian Wright also had food for thought as he made a hasty exit from Arsenal's demoralised dressing room.
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It's food for thought, though.
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Jeffcoate W.. Obesity is a disease: food for thought.
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Several interesting issues present some food for thought, however.
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That building provides us with food for thought.
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The lack of parcels and buses gave us all some food for thought of late.
gather yourself/your strength/your thoughts
give sb pause (for thought)
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High real estate prices have given potential buyers pause .
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But it gave you some pause to think of what else might be crawling around there.
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Even seemingly innocuous turnstile-exits with interlocking horizontal bars give my sister pause , however.
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It gave him pause , but soon enough he had his own retort.-Yeah, right.
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Knowing what Edmund has done to his real father might have given Cornwall pause before proclaiming himself the next one.
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The breadth of this holding gives one pause .
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Their sparring for position of least-favoured son gave me pause for thought.
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Yet the offer seems to have given Burton no pause .
give sth thought/attention/consideration etc
habit of thought/mind
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And such habits of mind survive the passage of time.
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But a habit of mind, something much more important, will stay with young people.
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Has this become a habit of mind?
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If views are similar it's because habits of thought are the same.
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The care of the interior demands an obsessive habit of mind.
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These habits of thought and action enable a business or work group to take full credit for the triumphs it achieves.
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This was his habit of mind.
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What habits of thought could matter more?
have second thoughts
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Couples contemplating divorce often have second thoughts when they realize how it will affect their children.
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It was obvious that the company was having second thoughts about the whole project.
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But now, with the raft travelling more slowly than I had planned, I began to have second thoughts.
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But then various men on the race committee and some male members of the National Aeronautic Association began to have second thoughts.
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I hope Darlington Transport have second thoughts on the matter.
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Keep him laughing and he might have second thoughts about eating you!
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Perhaps Mr Harrison would have second thoughts if he walked in our neck of the woods.
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Somewhere between second helpings I began to have second thoughts.
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Such incidents might have caused Sir Bernard to have second thoughts about the system; but he defends it with passion.
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Then, before she could have second thoughts, she picked up the telephone and dialled his number.
not give sth a second thought/another thought
not give sth a second thought/without a second thought
nothing could be/is further from sb's mind/thoughts
occupy sb's mind/thoughts/attention
▪
While she waited, she tried to occupy her mind with pleasant thoughts of the vacation.
on second thoughts
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But perhaps, on second thoughts, it wasn't so strange: Luke was special, unique.
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He was decisive and never wasted time on second thoughts.
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In fact, on second thoughts, would it not be far more sensible to invite Emilia to come to Cambridge?
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No, on second thoughts, I wasn't sulking.
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Then, on second thoughts, she opened the lid just the tiniest fraction so that the creature could breathe.
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William Oh-right-on second thoughts maybe it wasn't that bad.
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You eventually work out that if ... on second thoughts, you can solve it yourself!
perish the thought!
put your feelings/thoughts etc into words
▪
However; they had done little to develop emotional ideas and emotional thinking, to help Kyle put his feelings into words .
read sb's mind/thoughts
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Don't expect your spouse to be able to read your mind.
school of thought
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According to one school of thought, the disease is caused by a genetic defect.
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There are many schools of thought on how yoga should be taught.
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There are two schools of thought. One wants to control inflation, while the other is more interested in boosting employment.
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Basically, there were two schools of thought.
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Each school of thought has enjoyed constant internal debate about assumptions and methods.
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Indeed, one school of thought believed that the female brain was biologically different from that of the male.
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Inevitably this has meant some over-simplifying, stereotyping and exaggeration in the claims and counter-claims of the different schools of thought.
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There are two schools of thought concerning the application of syntactic knowledge.
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There are various schools of thought on how captions or short photo-stories should be affixed to photographs.
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Two schools of thought emerged during the summer of 1936.
serious attention/consideration/thought
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A more serious consideration to my mind is the continued quotation of Ingard shares on the Stock Exchange.
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Book publishing is another important aspect of the print media to which private organisations and the government should pay serious attention.
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But little serious thought has been given to this problem.
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Dangerous goods and perishable goods are two examples of operational specializations worth serious consideration.
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It does not mean that money has to rule, but it is a necessary and serious consideration.
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It was high time she got down to serious thought about her doctorate.
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The concept of interleague play in major league baseball is certainly intriguing, worthy of serious consideration.
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The fact is that I had already begun to give serious consideration to the possibility of doing away with Dennis Parsons.
spare a thought for sb
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We should spare a thought for those less fortunate.
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But spare a thought for Helen Williams.
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But whereas Errol struck it lucky, spare a thought for Instonian Neil Cooke.
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Let us take a moment this Advent to spare a thought for what the poorest of our world are waiting for.
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While all these contrivances give us the pleasure of moving water, we must spare a thought for the plants beneath.
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Whilst knitting your designs you might spare a thought for Giant Pandas now very much an endangered species.
train of thought
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Problem Too many phone calls breaking my train of thought.
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Some one called out, breaking his train of thought.
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The first task attempted will be to trace the train of thought in this unit.
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The kettle began to whistle, breaking into her train of thought.
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These are discussed with a clarity which enables the reader to fully identify with the author's train of thought.
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Tracing the train of thought in 6: 12-20 is the task at hand.
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Tunes pulled at the hems of her train of thought.
who would have thought?
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But who would have thought that a humble human could do these calculations?
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That's the only bait I didn't have but, who would have thought that with ice about?
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The girl was carrying a latchkey; she let herself into the cabin. ... who would have thought of that?
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Yet who would have thought I would talk to myself in this way in these notes? he wrote.
you would have thought (that)
your heart/thoughts go out to sb
II. noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADJECTIVE
careful
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We do need order, concern, mutual consideration and careful thought , but not as devices to suppress the darker forces.
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To design something usually implies careful thought , preparation, organization, and coherence.
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You need to give careful thought to any such stipulation before accepting it.
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Meanwhile, since the beginning of 1941, Navy planners had been giving careful thought to a revamping of fleet strategy.
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And each work area needs careful thought to ensure that all necessary equipment and ingredients are conveniently to hand.
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I also admired and learned from the careful thought that this organization had put into their program.
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This can often give rise to dispute and requires careful thought .
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Busacher, after careful thought , had decided he would conduct the orchestra himself this evening.
deep
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He wondered whether he'd been asleep for a while, or just deep in thought .
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Holmes stood still, apparently in deep thought , as the Viscount paced nervously about.
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Kirov had opened himself up so that the younger man would trust him enough to confide his deepest thoughts .
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The only difference now is that he wears a headband, perhaps to keep all of his deep thoughts from falling out.
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If there is, it has to be at a deeper level of thought and interaction than we have so far identified.
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In deep thought I drove back to Upper Bowland.
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He stood gazing off into vistas, legs apart, arms folded across his chest and thought deep thoughts.
serious
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They were not good, serious thoughts .
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He said he received a couple of calls from job-placement agencies yesterday, but has not given a new job serious thought .
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But little serious thought has been given to this problem.
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Not a serious thought in my head.
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He also gave some serious thought to how he should look.
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Damage at the ancient Armagh Royal School is also more serious than first thought .
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It was high time she got down to serious thought about her doctorate.
■ NOUN
process
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I think you may have a fundamental flaw in your thought processes .
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Might not some essential aspects of quantum theory also be playing crucial roles in the physics that underlies our thought processes ?
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Foveal and peripheral awareness Our senses, and our thought processes too, function through centres of energy.
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Many people insist that most of their political knowledge is based on their own rational thought processes .
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By which is meant that they have developed their ability to focus both senses and mind upon a thought process .
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Just to motivate the thought processes , let me suggest a possible set of goals.
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I think it might aid the thought processes , old boy.
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Think about your normal thought processes .
second
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I am very, very comfortable with the decision that I made with my family last year, no second thoughts .
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They spent untold quantities of blood in pursuit of an inhuman ideology, with no compunctions and no second thoughts .
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Keep him laughing and he might have second thoughts about eating you!
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There is a question of a leader having second thoughts about the war.
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Completion normally takes place four to eight weeks later and there is no opportunity for second thoughts .
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On second thoughts , maybe we should let him.
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I hope Darlington Transport have second thoughts on the matter.
■ VERB
collect
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He barely had time to collect his thoughts before they were shown in.
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Laing pauses to collect his thoughts when considering what was perhaps the most difficult decision of his long career.
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I piped up in his defense, having had moments to collect my thoughts .
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Then, collecting her thoughts , shutting out all sound save that in her headset, she began to take down the message.
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He stopped for a few minutes in a small park to enjoy the scenery and collect his thoughts .
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He listened intently, trying to collect his thoughts away from the past of his dreams to the present of reality.
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Then he paused to collect his thoughts .
entertain
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But he never entertained the thought of just walking away.
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How could she, even fleetingly, entertain such a thought for a man who despised her so deeply and so openly?
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To the point where Valerie would entertain the thought that Casey was possessed.
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He had entertained thoughts of marrying her and raising a family, but he entered the Society instead.
express
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He had expressed a similar thought to a neurologist friend of his once, to receive an alarmed look in reply.
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While Nelson expressed affectionate thoughts about his parents, he was also clearly in conflict with them.
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Because the questionnaire was conducted in strict confidence some took this opportunity to express their thoughts .
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It is the self creating and expressing thought .
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It is about something even more important: the way in which people express their thoughts .
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She has also used the poetry of others, such as Shakespeare, to express her thoughts .
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That seemed too much like - like - he sought to express the thought completely and fully - a recipe by Soyer.
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Tammy seems to have meant the ability to express more complex thoughts in writing.
give
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We must therefore give a lot of thought to publicity.
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I would have to give it some thought .
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He looked drawn now, Ruth thought , and wondered if he had ever given her a thought since Seville.
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Meanwhile, since the beginning of 1941, Navy planners had been giving careful thought to a revamping of fleet strategy.
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He also gave some serious thought to how he should look.
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But you should give some thought to how you maintain contact.
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Secondly, the storage of data should be given some prior thought as this is often overlooked.
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I gave some thought to coming down there to see you but I know you would not want me to.
read
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She did not read his thoughts or hear him talking in his sleep.
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You could almost read Horton's thoughts as the chances kept going by.
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I read your thoughts and letters weeks ago.
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But I can't read your thoughts .
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His expression stayed stern and Fabia, trying to read his thoughts , started to squirm inwardly.
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It was as if he were trying to read her thoughts .
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He'd somehow read her most secret thoughts .
spare
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But whereas Errol struck it lucky, spare a thought for Instonian Neil Cooke.
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Whilst knitting your designs you might spare a thought for Giant Pandas now very much an endangered species.
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Let us take a moment this Advent to spare a thought for what the poorest of our world are waiting for.
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No self-respecting Zen-Buddhist spares a second thought for it.
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Things to do in September Spare a thought for next spring and plant your outdoor bulbs.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
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"That's not a very good time of year to travel." "Perhaps not. It was just a thought ."
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ancient Greek thought
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I'd like you to begin by writing down your thoughts about the play.
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I've just had a thought - it might be quicker to go by bus.
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If you have any thoughts on the matter, let me know.
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Michael never gave any thought to others.
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News of the crash dominated his thoughts.
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That's an interesting thought . Let's discuss it at the meeting.
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Writing a good essay requires a lot of thought and effort.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
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And the thought was a terror in her mind.
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It cancels out thought , and in consequence, any possibility of examining the root selfishness.
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Let your thoughts glow from within.
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Others are chipping in thoughts about the overall themes he should hit.
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Their security of tenure is deemed essential for fruitful and unremitting thought .