I. core 1 W3 AC /kɔː $ kɔːr/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . FRUIT the hard central part of a fruit such as an apple:
Remove the cores, and bake the apples for 40 minutes.
2 . MOST IMPORTANT PART the most important or central part of something
core of
The core of the book focuses on the period between 1660 and 1857.
Debt is at the core of the problem.
3 . PEOPLE a number of people who form a group which is very important to an organization:
The business needs a new core of trained administrators.
a core group of clients
⇨ ↑ hard core
4 . to the core extremely or completely
shaken/shocked/thrilled to the core
When I heard the news, I was shaken to the core.
That woman is rotten to the core!
He was a bureaucrat to the core.
5 . PLANET the central part of the Earth or any other ↑ planet
6 . NUCLEAR REACTOR the central part of a ↑ nuclear reactor
II. core 2 AC BrE AmE adjective
1 . core curriculum/subjects/skills etc subjects that have to be studied at a school or college:
the national core curriculum
the core subjects of English, maths, and science
Schools have to deliver the core skills.
2 . core business/activities/operations etc the main business or activities of a company or organization:
The core business of airlines is flying people and cargo from place to place.
the company’s core product
3 . core values/beliefs the values or beliefs that are most important to someone:
the core values of American liberalism, such as taxing the rich to help the poor
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ main larger or more important than all the others:
the main entrance of the building
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the main reason for his decision
▪ chief/principal most important. Chief and principal are more formal than main , and are often used in written English:
Coffee is the country’s principal export.
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What is the company’s chief objective?
▪ major very important or serious:
Smoking is a major cause of heart disease.
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Street crime is becoming a major problem.
▪ key most important, or the one that everything or everyone else depends on:
Education is likely to be a key issue in the election campaign.
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Hooper was a key member of the team.
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Diet is key.
▪ number one especially spoken most important or best - this phrase sounds a little informal and it is used especially in spoken English:
Reliability is the number one priority.
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the number one cause of death
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He is still in the number one position.
▪ primary most important - used especially about the most important aim, role, cause, or concern. Primary is more formal than main :
The primary aim of the project was to help students develop their communication skills.
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Security is our primary concern.
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The primary function of the university was considered to be the teaching of ‘the great cultural disciplines’.
▪ prime very important or most important - used especially about the most important reason, cause, or aim, or about the most likely ↑ target or ↑ suspect . Prime is more formal than main :
Their prime objective is to increase profits for their shareholders.
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Tourists are prime targets for theft and robbery.
▪ core most important - used especially about the things that people should pay most attention to:
the core skills of reading and writing
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He wants the company to focus on its core business - advertising.
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The party’s core values are individual freedom and reducing the amount of government bureaucracy.
▪ central most important and having more influence than anything else:
The U.S. played a central role in the peace negotiations.
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a central theme of the book
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The central question is, why are people still so attached to their cars?
▪ predominant most common, typical, or important:
Yellow was the predominant colour everywhere.
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High arched windows are a predominant feature in English churches.
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New York still has a predominant role in the contemporary art world.
III. core 3 AC BrE AmE verb [transitive]
to remove the centre from a fruit