Southwest Airlines Fuel Hedge Program. Why Southwest Hedged Fuel Research Paper

Southwest Airlines Fuel Hedge Program. Why Southwest Hedged Fuel - Research Paper Example US Airline Industry Background An overview of the US airline sector reveals an industry setting with numerous considerations where heightened competition and fuel costs are key determinants of performance. Global fuel prices are highly volatile, a trend which has been observed over the last two decades (Carter, Rogers and Simskin 1). Fuel costs greatly impact an airline’s operations since they constitute about 17% of total costs, second to labor costs only. Moreover, ticket prices usually reflect fuel prices, hence, determining profit margins, financial outlooks and forecasts. The competitiveness in the US airline industry translates into a situation where the rising fuel costs cannot be passed to the service consumer. Southwest Airlines, as a major player in the US industry, among other things, specializing in short-haul, provides high-frequency and low fare point-to-point services which in the long run can be largely impacted by such volatilities in the fuel prices (Morrell and Swan 713-714). The inability to pass on fuel costs to consumers forces airlines to consider other strategies for surviving fuel prices fluctuation. Hedging is one of such strategies considered by airlines, such as Southwest, as a solution to the fuel price volatility problem. Hedging: Fuel Price Risk Management: Drastic changes in fuel prices are some of the major risks that may cripple airlines. For instance, political volatility in the Middle East- a major source of crude oil- disrupts global oil prices in two ways. First, war increases the local demand for fuel, hence, lesser exports. Secondly, normal extraction of oil may be disrupted during military operations. Carter et al. (4-5) provide an example of such a situation using the Gulf War, where the average spread rose by 8.1 times, from 3.5 cents to 28.5 cents per gallon. Trempski (1) offers another point of view concerning the jet fuel price volatility stating that a barrel of crude oil price rise from $10.82 in 1996 to $6 9.91 in 2005, had a negative impact on the heavily oil-dependent industry. Control of global fuel prices is not within the power of airlines such as Southwest; hence, there is a need for alternative strategies. Airlines use several instruments to hedge their fuel including over-the-counter (OTC) swaps, future contracts that are exchange traded, exchange traded or OTC call options and OTC or exchange traded collars (Carter et al. 4). Hedging in the airline industry, however, follows a unique format, where risk management is done on fuels other than jet fuels. The first reason for this is based on the refining process; products from the same distillation step share similar characteristics and highly correlated prices and future commercial outlooks. Hence, heating oil can be used to hedge jet fuel prices owing to the fact that their price changes and future contract price changes are highly correlated. Jet fuel is refined from crude oil, thus, crude oil is also heavily applied in hedgi ng jet fuel. The second reason is based on the nature of the jet fuel market which is not sufficiently liquid to warrant future contracts. Derivative contracts on jet fuel have to be based on OTC trading. On the other hand, exchange traded contracts for crude oil and heating oil are active and liquid enough, accompanied by low credit risks. Therefore, airlines interested in hedging traditionally use crude oil or heating oil

Bill Belichick’s sanctions are fair Essay Example for Free

Bill Belichick’s sanctions are fair Essay Bill Belichick deserved all the sanctions imposed on him. He has succeeded in bringing to disrepute all the previous success and victories achieved by Patriots. Every of their former accomplishments are now suspected as fraudulent, reduced to ridicule, mockery, and Patriot’s real competence doubtfully dubious. Last year, according to Rich C. (2007)in Green Bay, they were accused of the same spy game. Belichicks violations of league policy and rules were quite shameful and has tarnished the image of the League. This monumental shocking scandal has authenticated all the previous suspicions that Belichick had been involved in other spying activities aside from stealing signs. In New York Daily News account, (September 2007), it had long been rumored of how microphones can be attached to shoulder pads in order to pick up audible voices in scrimmage lines. How video equipment are concealed in parking garages for the purpose of filming practices. He equally is believed to have constantly eavesdropped at halftime on opponents to enable him steal team signal and make adjustments to gain undue advantage. You cannot continue to achieve victory by violating the rules. It ends up defeating the essence of the game. People cannot continue to give black eyes to the game of sports. If Bill Belichick is not so punished, it is the game that will suffer the most. His offence is beyond cheating, it is pure and blatant espionage and spy that make nonsense of both the Patriots players and management, fans, (including NFL Football fans), all their opponents and the entire league. Those accusing Jets of envy and the fact that everyone, including Mangini, is doing it are missing the whole issue. However, this revelation is an indication that the time for NFL to sanitize the game is now. REFERENCE. 1. Rich Cimini (12 September 2007) (Eric Mangini Exposes Bil Belichicks Spy Games† in Daily News Sports, http://www. nydailynews. com/sports/football/jets/2007/09/12/2007-09-12_eric_mangini_exposes_bill_belichicks_spy. html 2. New York Daily News (11th September, 2007) â€Å"Spying on the Jets† http://www. nydailynews. com/forums/thread. jspa? threadID=590tstart=0

What Were The Characteristics Of Reaganomics Economics Essay

What Were The Characteristics Of Reaganomics Economics Essay The basis for Reaganomics can be traced back to the late 1960s and 1970s when after two decades of steady growth and very low inflation the US economy suffered from exceptionally high inflation along with a very slow growth rate, a phenomena that became known as Stagflation. The continuously high unemployment rates throughout the 1970s were another feature of stagflation. This was caused by a number of different factors namely the failure of the dominant post-war Keynesian policies to deal with the rising inflation and unemployment which primarily were focused on the demand management side of economics through expansionary fiscal and monetary policies. Furthermore the Keynesian belief that unemployment and inflation were mutually exclusive based on the Phillips Curve led to persistent efforts to promote artificially low levels of unemployment through increasing government spending and establishing price controls which worsened the soaring inflation rates. In addition to the Keynesians failures to deal with the domestic issues the US economy faced competition from industrial and developed countries such as Britain, France, Germany and Japan for the first time since the end of second world war. The US benefited from massive expansion of its economy during and after the war years whilst other nations suffered from substantial damages to their infrastructures. However by the mid 1960s the European and Japans economies had recovered and had developed technologically more advance and productive economies compared to America. During the period 1950 to 1973, fixed capital stock in the United States grew at an annual rate of 2.9% a rate that would prove impossible to achieve once stagflation dominated the economy. In contrast, Britain, Germany, Japan and France had annual average growth rates in capital stock of 4%, 6.1%, 7.6% and 4.5%, respectively (Marc Eisner , 1995). As well as increased international competition the external shocks to th e US economy in the 1970s such as the oil crisis of 1973 where price of oil quadrupled, along with higher commodities prices caused an even greater pressure on price levels. The economic and social difficulties caused by the combinations of these factors led to a major demand for a shift in economic policies and was the main promise of Ronald Reagans 1980 election campaign. In February 1981 the new administration revealed its Program for Economic Recovery. This program was based on a mixture of different theories namely Monetarism which calls for the Federal Reserve to limit the growth of the money supply in order to curb inflation and Supply Side policies that require a reduction in taxes to increase the incentive to work, save and invest. (John Palmer 1982). These became to be known as Reaganomics and its basic elements were; controlling inflation by restricting the supply of money, reducing income and capital gains marginal tax rates, reducing regulation and intervention in markets and reducing government expenditure whilst increasing defence spending. The objective of Reaganomics was relatively clear, it was designed to increase saving and investment s which combined with deregulation and having healthier markets would lead to a higher economic growth. Reducing government expenditure and controlling the supply of money was assumed to not only bring inflation down but also to reduce the ever increasing government deficit. The success of the program largely depended on the success of all of its individual elements. The administration believed by restricting the supply of money, the rate of increase of total spending in the economy, nominal GNP would go down and this was a necessary condition for reducing inflation. In order to curb inflation and spending whilst reducing unemployment at the same time there had to be a degree of control over inflationary expectations and a significant rise in productivity to counter the rise of labour costs. The administrations commitment to monetary control and balancing the federal budget would help to correct the inflationary expectations whilst the increase in productivity would be achieved by the increase of nations savings to encourage private and productivity-raising investments as a result of tax cuts and elimination of government deficit. Furthermore the stimulus to productivity and production resulting from such tax cuts would increase the national income which in turn would offset the revenue loss that lower tax rates cause. (Herbert Stein, 1988) Thus the failure of any individual element of the program would lead to the collapse of the whole program or at the very least significantly reduce its desired effect on the economy. Restoring price stability by curbing inflation therefore was one of the major priorities of the Economic Recovery Program. This was based on the monetarist view that a steady reduction in money supply growth whilst managing inflationary expectations effectively would be the best way to reduce inflation. The Reagan administration hoped to achieved this without causing a painful transition period of high unemployment and loss of output therefore it was essential for businesses, workers and investors to fully have confidence in governments ability to succeed and thus react accordingly. Although neo-Keynesians argued monetary restrain would almost certainly lead to a further increase in unemployment and would push the economy into a recession as prices and wages are sticky or sluggish and relatively unresponsive to monetary policies in the short run. (32) However according to the Rational Expectations school of thought individuals would realise and anticipate the benefits of a well adver tised monetary policy and would be willing to accept lower wages and prices for their goods and services and hence would avoid any unpleasant consequence of a drop in output levels. (31). The administration believed the war against inflation would be relatively short and pain free. Thus the Federal Reserve under the leadership of Paul Volcker attempted to decrease inflation rates by controlling the adjusted monetary base which is the total amount of currency in circulation or in the commercial banks deposits in the Federal Reserve. This was done by controlling the reserves supplies to the banking system through the Federal Reserves purchases and sales of government securities and the amount it required banks to maintain in reserves against their deposits. The Federal Reserve also controlled -albeit to a lesser extent- the money supply especially the narrower form of money (i.e. M1) such as currency and checkable deposits. (R.E) As a consequence the inflation fell from its double digits peak in 1980 to below 4% by the summer of 1982, however this success in curbing the inflation had a devastating impact on the economy. The tight credit control led to further increases in interest rates as investment fell. The gross national product fell by more than 2.5% whilst unemployment rates peaked at 11% in 1982. It seemed clear Reagans ambitious plans to reduce inflation and maintain a healthy economic growth simultaneously had failed. (State Blue book). Although by July 1982 the Federal Reserve eased up its tight grip on the money supply and the expansionary fiscal policies by the administration led to the recovery from the recession. The economy grew by 6.8% by 1984 with unemployment figures dropping to 7.4% first and then to 5.4% in 1988 whilst the GNP also increased, standing at 4.5%. Inflation remained low for the remainder of Reagans administration dropping to as low as 1.1% in 1986 before standing at around 4% towards the end of the decade. However despite this positive economic figures its important to take into account the external factors that created a far more favourable economic environment throughout the 1980s compared to the previous decade. The main cause of inflation in the late 1970s was the high food and energy prices partly caused by the oil crisis of the 1973 and the Energy crisis of 1979 (in the wake of the Iranian revolution) however as a result of the sharp decrease in demand for oil in developed countries and the virtual collapse of OPEC, the oil prices decreased by two third between 1980 and 1985. (state source). Moreover expansionary fiscal policies such as federal subsidies for farmers and an inflated dollar despite having a negative impact on the budget deficit, contributed to price stabilisation as food prices fall and imports became cheaper. the collapse of OPEC, food surpluses, the debt inflated dollar and measurement corrections in the role of home ownership sots in calculating the Consumer Pri ce Index accounted for 52.3% of the reduction in inflation with the remainder attributable to the rescission induced unemployment rates. (end with a conclusive sentence?). Balancing the budget was another top priority of the Reagans administration however throughout his two term as president the deficit continued to grow as a result of the loss in government revenue caused by the Economy Recovery Tax Act of 1981 and the largest peace time defence spending since the Second World War. (Midterm report). The deficit that was under 35% of the GDP in 1980 had increased to over 55% of the GDP by the end of the decade. The idea that having an unbalanced budget would have damaging consequences for the economy was another monetarist element of the Reagans administration. This was a clear rejection of the Keynesian view that stated the government could stimulate the economy by increasing its deficit which in turn allows it to increase expenditure and investment in the private sector resulting in an increase in aggregate demand, total output and employment levels as long as the economy isnt performing at its maximum capacity hence outweighing the costs of financin g the deficit. In contrast the monetarist insisted on the need for a balanced budget claiming that even though government on one hand could give money to people through higher expenditure it would have to take an equal or higher amount back to finance its debts. The administration therefore attempted to decrease the deficit and eventually balance the budget by as early as 1984.It intended to do this by reducing government expenditure as a percentage of the GDP from 23% to 19.5%. (industrial book) In its Program for Economic Recovery it introduced substantial cuts in state aid programs such as Medicaid, food and nutrition programs, extended unemployment benefits and housing assistance whilst reducing subsidies for new energy technologies, public service employment and student aids. (Mid term). Although the effectiveness of such cuts in expenditure and the target of balancing the budget by 1984 turned out to be extremely optimist and unrealistic. The administration failed to achieve its objective mainly because of its inconsistent policies. For instance whilst trying to reduce the deficit it introduced the Economic Recovery Tax Act in the summer of 1981 reducing marginal income tax rates by 25% causing a major loss of revenue for the governmen t. The administration argued such revenue loss would be offset by a rise in savings, investments and output levels however as the economy entered a recession in 1981 mainly due to its tight monetary policy the deficit continued to rise. Furthermore the government increased defence spending steadily throughout the decade, in 1982 the defence budget rose by $7.3b and later by $33.1 in 1986. (R.E). The governments failure to reduce its deficit had severe consequences for the economy especially during the 81-82 recession. The major problem with the deficit was the financial cost of financing the debt itself, this was estimated to be close to $184.2b or 14.7% of the budget in 1990. (s.bb) The administration attempted to raise funds by selling securities such as government bounds which due to their secure nature and high rates of return attracted investors and capital. However this had a negative knock on effect on the economy too since by extracting billions of dollars per year from the national saving pool which had already been in decline since the 1950s (shrinking to 2.4% of GDP in 1988 from 7.8% in the 1970s) the government took away scarce capital from the private sector leading to the crowding out phenomena. This is when the government and the private sector compete for the same limited capital available in the market hence causing a reduction in the expansion of businesses and firms. This loss of capital further translates into higher interest rates and lower levels of investment which in turn leads to a loss of competitiveness and reduction in the output levels, subsequently increasing unemployment and pushing the economy deeper into the recession. Overall it had quickly become apparent that the administrations goal of balancing the budget was clearly unrealistic. Despite its desire to reduce the deficit the introduction of tax reductions and increasing the defence spending more than offset any gains made from the cutbacks in the federal expenditure. The centrepiece of Reagans tax cuts was the Economic Recovery Act signed into law in 1981.

How would I write a Native American History textbook? :: Essays Papers

How would I write a Native American History textbook? Why does one write a history in a book? Most historians argue that the events and beliefs of the past constitute who we are today: to understand current structures of society and government, we must devote ourselves to understanding the struggles, failures and triumphs of our forefathers. Yet as events and beliefs are recorded and transmitted, the interpretative bias of historians come through the pages of text-books. Interpreting the interpretations of historians is the vital responsibility of readers to develop critical awareness of bias, stereotpye and discrimination. I see two existing veins of intention in recording history the history of Native Americans: I can seek to either exalt the success of Western ways of life in describing the conquest and consequential transformation (â€Å"civilization†) of â€Å"primitive† cultures into a Western way of life, or alternatively, I can seek to enhance and rejuvenate the cultural realities of our own time by articulating the history of Native Americans from a different perspective and emphasize past and present connections. In crafting a textbook of my own choice, I would emphasize three major movements and intrinsic arguments in the History of Native Americans. First, I would deliver a clear and extensive history of pre-contact experience and culture. In describing Mississippian societies, western cliff dwellings like Mesa Verde, and earthen-village houses of the plains, I would highlight the complex matrilineal property rights and parenting restrictions also inherent in Native American cultures. I would draw special attention to the politics of marriage and kinship ties, the practice of rearing children and caring for the elderly, and the hierarchy of villages and mother towns that draw populations together as allies in time of war fare. Within this first section, I would also offer a brief rendition of mythology and creationism, and assert that Native Americans possess the collective rights of indigenous peoples in the continent of North America. I would parallel Marshall’s argument that â€Å"first† is not the pivotal word in discerning indigenism, but the word â€Å"always:" Native Americans claim to have always inhabited the continent and I would offer my support of their claim. Furthermore, I would discuss the politics of "indigenous survival," and emphasize the gravity of cultural depravity through economic exploitation and usurption of resources: I would demand that history be remembered. The second movement I would emphasize is the four centuries of European conquest and colonialism.

Bhagavad Gita: The Choice of Arjuna Essay

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most renowned pieces of literature from India. It is the most popular segment of the Mahabarata, and is recognized as an essential teaching of the Hindu religion. The title, when translated to the English language, means Song of the Blessed One. It is a profound religious poem composed of 700 stanzas, arranged in 18 chapters, within the great Sanskrit epic of Mahabarata. Various philosophic and religious points of view are expressed in the Bhagavad Gita, but its greatest message is that God can best be known and reached by man through loving devotion to Him (Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, no page). In this Indian classic, a dialogue transpired between Arjuna, the general of the Pandava forces in the epic battle, and his charioteer Krishna, who is an incarnation of the god Vishnu. Just before the battle, Arjuna has Krishna drive him into the unoccupied ground between the two marshaled armies. As he surveys them he becomes despondent that on the morrow he must fight with kinsmen, friends, and revered teachers. But Krishna, instructing him, tells him that as a warrior he must not avoid a battle of righteousness. In addition, he need fear no harm in the highest sense, for the highest part of man, the soul, cannot be destroyed, and is in fact unitary in all men. Krishna then develops his teaching of God and the soul, and in Chapter 11 reveals himself in transcendent form. Arjuna accepts the teaching, is heartened, and prepares to enter the battle, which his side is destined to win (Johnson 3-82). Ethical Issues in the Gita The opening chapter of the Gita depicts the hero Arjuna in a dilemma between his social duties and his familial obligations. His predicament is that he is a member of the warrior class, or the ksatriya varna, that instructs him to engage in a battle against his own family members. However, these blood attachments leaves Arjuna hesitant from fighting, thereby resulting to a heightened tension. This brought Arjuna absolute grief, for the mere prospect of committing wrong against his kinsmen is inconceivable. Therefore, he sought the wisdom of his charioteer and counselor. This is the human form Lord Krishna, with Arjuna oblivious of his charioteer’s real identity. Arjuna confided that he has arrived to a decision that he would not fight his family (Gupta 380). Krishna gladly came to Arjuna’s aid in resolving the latter’s dilemma using both â€Å"absolute and relative standpoints† (Gupta 380). According to Krishna, when one takes the absolute standpoint in consideration, the immortality of the self is essential. If one only regard the human body, he would eventually find it destroyed, thereby grieving for the flesh killed in the battlegrounds will be left in futility. Since humans have immortal souls, both birth and death are transcended. On the other hand, from the relative point of view, Krishna tells Arjuna that his membership into the warrior class gives him the duty to fight. Therefore, it is not negotiable whether he would perform this duty. For he must do what he ought to do, for both moral and spiritual values are in line. He is a soldier, and this is his niche. It is his mandate to act as a soldier to engage in a righteous war, fighting for both truth and righteousness and regain the balance of morality in his society. Hence, the only option, the only proper action, is for Arjuna to fight in the war. One must do what he is assigned to do for the sake of doing it, and not because of the possible results of his actions. He therefore needs to learn to detach himself from the consequential results of his actions and only commit his entire soul in doing his duty (Gupta 381). The primary teachings of the Hindu religion, especially in this context, are not comparable to that of Kant’s categorical imperative. Instead, it is â€Å"not an unconditional command† (Gupta 381). When an individual belongs to a specific caste, then the role of the caste is endowed upon him. When a person is warrior by caste, then he is obliged to participate in battles defending righteousness. And when one is priest by caste, then one must always prevent himself from engaging in fighting. One must never be associated with the duty of another, for he is expected to do his duties given to his own caste (Gupta 381). Personal Duty The choice that Krishna is imposing on Arjuna is a very difficult course to take. Perhaps it takes a strong conviction upon well-founded religious beliefs in order to stand by this decision. I personally do not agree with the reasoning that Krishna gave, for my moral compass tells me that blood is thicker than water. I can never commit evil or any act of transgression against my kin, for I do value familial relationships without extent nor condition. The decision that Krishna wishes for Arjuna to take is somehow in contrary to my personal principles. I do not condone sacrificing the lives of the people I love for the purpose of self-benefit. For in this case, I see the performance of one’s personal duty is more of a selfish act. It only served you, and not the people you love. I have been taught by my religion to give unconditional love towards others, and to always think of the welfare or my neighbor. I believe that Krishna’s argument does not apply to me as it is not applicable in my life. This does not however mean that it is impossible or far-fetched. The example I could think that this dilemma is possible to arise is on the lives of policemen and soldiers. Police officers are expected to enforce the law regardless of the person who committed the crime, for no one is above the law. However, especially in critical and life threatening cases, some are faced with the dilemma whether to arrest people they love who they know perpetrated a certain crime. Although it is one’s moral obligation to convince his loved one to confess or to arrest him, it is still difficult to do what is righteous. Here, one is give a duty that must be performed no matter what. As a student, I do believe that I have a duty. And this duty is to prepare myself to a life ahead of me in order to make a positive contribution for the betterment of this world. I am the hope of this generation to direct the world into the righteous path and correct the societal wrongs I could possibly change. With this at heart, I do believe that I have a determine nature. It is a spirit that would never be daunted in the face of obstacles, for I know what I must achieve. Conclusion The Gita presents a very important perspective of the Hindu religion, which enables us to understand the moral grounds of the people belonging to this religious belief. It is difficult to grasp the essence of the story’s moral, for it is somehow foreign to the values that I have been accustomed to. But being exposed to other kinds of belief systems, to other principles, and to other practices allows me to rethink my character. The Gita is about Arjuna and how he followed the advice of Krishna. Whether or not it is the universal choice, the important thing is to obey the dictates of the heart of what is right and what is wrong. Sticking to one’s principles somehow outweighs the actual consequences of one’s actions. For one cannot always anticipate what cannot be predicted, one can only act upon what one firmly believes in, and fight for it.

Dictinory

EASIER ENGLISH BASIC DICTIONARY SECOND EDITION Dictionary Titles in the Series English Language: Easier English Basic Synonyms 0 7475 6979 7 English Study Dictionary 1 9016 5963 1 Easier English Student Dictionary 0 7475 6624 0 English Thesaurus for Students 1 9016 5931 3 Specialist Dictionaries: Dictionary of Accounting 0 7475 6991 6 Dictionary of Banking and Finance 0 7475 6685 2 Dictionary of Business 0 7475 9680 0 Dictionary of Economics 0 7475 6632 1 Dictionary of Environment and Ecology 0 7475 7201 1 Dictionary of Hotels, Tourism and Catering Management 1 9016 5999 2Dictionary of Human Resources and Personnel Management 0 7475 6623 2 Dictionary of ICT 0 7475 6990 8 Dictionary of Marketing 0 7475 6621 6 Dictionary of Medical Terms 0 7475 6987 8 Dictionary of Military Terms 1 9038 5620 5 Dictionary of Nursing 0 7475 6634 8 Dictionary of Science and Technology 0 7475 6620 8 Check your English Vocabulary Workbooks: Business 0 7475 6626 7 Computing 1 9016 5928 3 English for Academic Purposes 0 7475 6691 7 PET 0 7475 6627 5 FCE + 0 7475 6981 9 IELTS TOEFL 0 7475 6982 7  ® 0 7475 6984 3 Visit our website for full details of all our books ttp://www. bloomsbury. com/reference EASIER ENGLISH BASIC DICTIONARY SECOND EDITION General editor P. H. Collin A BLOOMSBURY REFERENCE BOOK www. bloomsbury. com Second edition published 2004 First published in Great Britain 2001  © Copyright P. H. Collin, F. Collin, S. M. H. Collin 2001 This edition  © Copyright Bloomsbury Publishing 2004 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 38 Soho Square London W1D 3HB All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the publishers. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0 7475 6644 5 eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0202-2 Text processing and computer typesetting by Bloomsbury Publishing Printed and bound in Italy by Legoprint All papers used by Bloomsbury Publishing are natural, recyclable products made from wood grown in well-managed forests. The manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. GENERAL EDITOR P. H. Collin Editorial Contributors Penelope Hands, Howard Sargeant Text Production and Proofreading Katy McAdam, Joel Adams, Daisy Jackson, Sarah LusznatPreface This dictionary contains the most frequently used words in English and provides the basic vocabulary needed for everyday communication by anyone starting to learn the language. It is especially useful for elementary and pre-intermediate students of all ages and would be suitable for those working towards an elementary level English examination such as KET or PET. Each word is individually defined, and no words, not even adverbs, are given without a definition. Examples are included for many words to provide patterns for the user’s own production of English sentences.Each word, including compound words and phrasal verbs, has its own easy-to-find main entry in bold type. Each word has a pronunciation in the International Phonetic Alphabet. Common phrases and idioms associated with the main term are shown in bold type and separately defined within the entry. The meanings of the main common senses of each word are given clearly and simply, using a limited and easily understood vocabulary. Meanings are grouped together by their part of speech. Extra help is offered in Notes at the end of some entries.These include warnings about words which can confused with each other, unusual inflected forms and regularly collocating prepositions. The major differences in US and British spelling are noted. A useful companion to this dictionary is Easier English Basic Synonyms which compares and contrasts words with similar meanings, showing the similarities and differences in usage. Symbols before a new part of speech before examples before a phrase or collocation before an idiom a definition of the word will be foun d at the place indicated extra information will be found at the place indicated i ? PronunciationThe following symbols have been used to show the pronunciation of the main words in the dictionary. Stress has been indicated by a main stress mark ( ) and a secondary stress mark ( ). Note that these are only guides, as the stress of the word changes according to its position in the sentence. Vowels ? ? a? a? a a ? e e? e? e? i i ? ? u u ? Consonants back harm stop type how hire hour course annoy head fair make go word keep happy about fit near annual pool book tour shut b d ? d f h j k l m n ? p r s ? t t? ? v w x z buck dead other jump fare gold head yellow cab leave mix nil sing print rest ave shop take change theft value work loch measure zone Basic. fm Page 1 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM A a1 /e? /, A noun the first letter of the alpha- very able manager. There are special activities for able children. a bet, followed by B Do you mean ‘dependant’ spelt with an à ¢â‚¬Ëœa’ or ‘dependent’ with an ‘e’? from A to Z completely, all the way through about /? ba? t/ preposition 1. referring to about something He told me all about his operation. What do you want to speak to the doctor about? 2. to be about to do something to be going to do something very soon We were about to go home when you arrived. 3. ot exactly I’ve been waiting for about four hours. She’s only about fifteen years old. how about? 1. what do you think about? We can’t find a new chairperson for the club – What about Sarah? 2. would you like a cup of tea? while you’re about it at the same time as the thing you are doing While you’re about it, can you post this letter? a2 /? , e? /, an /? n, n/ article 1. one a an enormous hole a useful guidebook She’s bought a new car. I want a cup of tea. We had to wait an hour for the bus. (NOTE: an is used before words beginning with a, e, i, o, u and with h if the h is not pronounced: an apple or an hour. is used before words beginning with all other letters and also before u where u is pronounced /ju / : a useful guidebook) 2. for each or to each Apples cost ? 1. 50 a kilo. The car was travelling at 50 kilometres an hour. He earns ? 100 a day. above /? b v/ preposition 1. higher than above The plane was flying above the clouds. The temperature in the street was above 30 degrees. At prices above ? 20, nobody will buy it. 2. older than If you are above 18, you have to pay the full fare. 3. louder than I couldn’t hear the telephone above the noise of the drills. abandon /? b nd? n/ verb 1. to leave abandon someone or something in an unkind wayThe dog had been abandoned by its owner. 2. to give up or stop doing something The company has decided to abandon the project. We abandoned the idea of setting up a London office. abbreviation /? bri vi e (? )n/ noun a abbreviation short form of a word abroad /? br? d/ adverb in or to another abroad country They’ve gone abroad on holiday. I lived abroad for three years. ability /? b? l? ti/ noun 1. a natural tendenability cy to do something well I admire his ability to stay calm in difficult situations. We can develop their natural abilities. (NOTE: The plural is abilities. ) I’ll do it to the best of my ability I’ll o it as well as I can 2. the fact of being clever suitable for different levels of ability (NOTE: no plural) absence / bs? ns/ noun the fact of beabsence ing away from a place She did not explain her absence from the meeting. The former president was sentenced in his absence. in the absence of because someone or something is not there In the absence of the chairman, his deputy took over. In the absence of any official support, we had to raise our own funds. able / e? b(? )l/ adjective 1. to be able to able do something to be capable of something or have the chance to do something They weren’t able to find the ouse. Will you be able to c ome to the meeting? 2. good at doing something, or good at doing many things She’s a absent / bs? nt/ adjective not there absent Ten of the staff are absent with flu. absolute / bs? lu t/ adjective comabsolute plete or total Basic. fm Page 2 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM absolutely 2 accompany absolutely adverb 1. / bs? lu tli/ com- little gift. 2. to say ‘yes’ or to agree to something She accepted the offer of a job in Australia. I invited her to come with us and she accepted. (NOTE: Do not absolutely pletely I am absolutely sure I left the keys in my coat pocket. 2. / bs? lu tli/ es, of course Did you build it yourself? – Absolutely! absorb /? b z? b/ verb 1. to take in something such as a liquid The water should be absorbed by the paper. Salt absorbs moisture from the air. 2. to reduce a shock The car’s springs are supposed to absorb any shock from the road surface. absurd /? b s d/ adjective completely unreasonable or impossible to believe It ’s absurd to expect you will win the lottery if you only buy one ticket. abuse1 /? bju s/ noun 1. rude words The people being arrested shouted abuse at the police. 2. very bad treatment the sexual abuse of children She suffered physical abuse in prison. absorb bsurd abuse (NOTE: [all senses] no plural) abuse2 /? bju z/ verb 1. to treat someabuse one very badly, usually physically or sexually She had been abused as a child. 2. to make the wrong use of something He abused his position as finance director. 3. to say rude things about someone The crowd noisily abused the group of politicians as they entered the building. academic / k? dem? k/ adjective 1. relating to study at a university Members of the academic staff received a letter from the principal. 2. only in theory, not in practice It is only of academic interest. i noun a university teacher All her friends are academics. ccelerate /? k sel? re? t/ verb to go faster Don’t accelerate when you get to traffic lights. accent / ks? nt/ noun 1. a particular way of pronouncing something He speaks with an American accent. 2. the stronger or louder part of a word or sentence In the word ‘letter’ the accent is on the first syllable. 3. a mark over a letter showing a particular way of pronouncing it Cafe has an accent on the ‘e’. accept /? k sept/ verb 1. to take and keep a present We hope you will accept this academic accelerate accent accept confuse with except. ) acceptable /? k sept? b(? )l/ adjective acceptable good enough to be accepted, although ot particularly good Fighting in the street is not acceptable behaviour. Smoking is becoming less socially acceptable. A small gift of flowers would be very acceptable. The offer is not acceptable to the vendor. access / kses/ noun a way of reaching a place The concert hall has access for wheelchairs. At present there is no access to the site. to have access to something to be able to reach a place, meet a person, or obtain somet hing I’ll have access to the studio day and night. The company has access to substantial funds. i verb to get information from a computer She tried to access the address list. accident / ks? d(? nt/ noun 1. an unpleasant thing which happens and causes damage or injury He lost his leg in an accident at work. She was involved in a car accident and had to go to hospital. 2. something that happens unexpectedly Their third baby was an accident. by accident without being planned or expected He found the missing papers by accident. accidental / ks? dent(? )l/ adjective happening without being planned or expected an accidental meeting accidental damage His death was not accidental. accidentally / ks? dent(? )li/ adverb without being planned or expected accommodation /? k? m? de (? )n/ noun a place to live or somewhere to tay for a short time Are you still looking for accommodation? Visitors have difficulty in finding hotel accommodation during the summer. (NOTE: In Britaccess acciden t accidental accidentally accommodation ish English, accommodation has no plural. ) accompany /? k mp(? )ni/ verb 1. to accompany go with someone or something She accompanied me to the door. 2. to play a musical instrument while someone Basic. fm Page 3 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM accomplish else plays another instrument or sings She sang and was accompanied on the piano by her father. (NOTE: accompanied by someone or something) accomplish /? k mpl / verb to do omething successfully You won’t accomplish anything by arguing. according to /? k? d tu / preposition 1. as someone says or writes The washing machine was installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. According to the police, the car was going too fast. 2. in agreement with rules or a system Everything went according to plan or schedule. 3. in relation to The teachers have separated the children into classes according to their ages. account /? ka? nt/ noun 1. same as bank account 2. I was worried on her account I was afraid something might happen to her on account of because of, due to The trains are late n account of the fog. We don’t use the car much on account of the price of petrol. take something into account to consider something We have to take the weather into account. on no account not at all accurate / kj? r? t/ adjective correct in all details Are the figures accurate? We asked them to make an accurate copy of the plan. accurately / kj? r? tli/ adverb correctly The weather forecast accurately predicted the storm. accuse /? kju z/ verb to say that someone has done something wrong The police accused her of stealing the money. (NOTE: You accuse someone of a accomplish according to account accurate accurately accuse rime or of doing something. ) achieve /? t? i v/ verb to succeed in doachieve ing something after trying very hard Have you achieved all your aims? The company has achieved great success in the USA. achievement /? t? i vm? nt/ noun something which h as been done successfully She is very modest about her achievements. Coming sixth was a great achievement, since he had never entered the competition before. achievement 3 action acid / s? d/ noun a chemical substance acid that is able to dissolve metals acknowledge /? k n? l? d / verb 1. to acknowledge say that something has been received She didn’t acknowledge receiving my etter. 2. to accept that something is true She acknowledged that she had seen me there. acknowledgement /? k n? l? d m? nt/ noun a letter or note sent to say that something has been received acorn / e? k? n/ noun the fruit of an oak tree acquaintance /? kwe? nt? ns/ noun a person you know slightly She has many acquaintances in the travel industry but no real friends. acquire /? kwa / verb to become the owner of something She has acquired a large collection of old books. across /? kr? s/ preposition 1. from one side to the other Don’t run across the road without looking to see if there is any traffi c coming. 2. n the other side of He saw her across the street. i adverb from one side to the other The river is only twenty feet across. The stream is very narrow – you can easily jump across. act / kt/ noun 1. something which is done He thanked her for the many acts of kindness she had shown him over the years. 2. a part of a play or show Act 2 of the play takes place in the garden. 3. a short performance The show includes acts by several young singers. 4. a law passed by Parliament an act to ban the sale of weapons i verb 1. to do something You will have to act quickly if you want to stop the fire. She acted in a very responsible way. o act as someone or something to do the work of someone or something The thick curtain acts as a screen to cut out noise from the street. 2. to behave in a particular way She’s been acting very strangely. to get your act together to organise yourself properly If they don’t get their act together, they’ll miss their train. action / k n/ noun 1. the fact of doing something We recommend swift acacknowledgement acorn acquaintance acquire across act action Basic. fm Page 4 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM active tion to prevent the problem spreading. What action are you going to take to prevent accidents? ut of action not working The car has been out of action for a week. 2. something that is done They’ve shown their commitment by their actions. 3. a movement Avoid sudden actions that could alarm the animals. 4. the things that happen in a performance such as a play or film The action of the play takes place in a flat in London. 5. a case in a law court where someone tries to get money from someone else to bring an action for damages against someone active / kt? v/ adjective 1. involved in active an activity or activities, especially in an energetic way He didn’t play an active part in the attack on the police station.My grandmother is still very active at the age of 88. 2. (of a volcano) ex ploding or likely to explode Scientists think the volcano is no longer active. 3. the form of a verb which shows that the subject is doing something (NOTE: If you say ‘the car hit him’ the verb is active, but in ‘he was hit by the car’ it is passive. ) activity / k t? v? ti/ noun 1. the act or activity fact of being active 2. something that someone does to pass time pleasantly Children are offered various holiday activities – sailing, windsurfing and water-skiing. (NOTE: The plural in this sense is activities. ) actor / kt? / noun a person who acts in actor he theatre, in films or on TV actress / ktr? s/ noun a woman who actress acts in the theatre, in films or on TV (NOTE: Many women prefer to call themselves actors rather than actresses. ) actual / kt? u? l/ adjective real actual It looks quite small but the actual height is 5 metres. Her actual words were much stronger. actually / kt? u? li/ adverb really actually It looks quite small, but actuall y it is over 5 metres high. He said he was ill, but actually he wanted to go to the football match. 4 address ad / d/ noun an advertisement (informal ) ad If you want to sell your car quickly, put an ad in the paper. adapt /? d pt/ verb 1. o change something to be suitable for a new situation She adapted the story for TV. The car has been adapted for disabled drivers. 2. to change your behaviour to fit into a new situation We’ll all have to learn to adapt to the new system. adaptable /? d pt? b(? )l/ adjective able to change or be changed easily to deal with new situations or uses add / d/ verb 1. to make a total of numbers If you add all these numbers together it should make fifty. (NOTE: Addadapt adaptable add ing is usually shown by the sign + : 10 + 4 = 14. ) 2. to join one thing to another Interest is added to the account monthly. Add two cupfuls of sugar.Put a teabag into the pot and add boiling water. By building the annexe, they have added thirty rooms to the hotel. 3 . to say or to write something more I have nothing to add to what I put in my letter. She added that we still owed her some money for work she did last month. add up phrasal verb to make a total the figures do not add up the total is not correct addition /? d (? )n/ noun 1. someone or something added to something else the latest addition to the family He showed us the additions to his collection of paintings. 2. the act of adding figures to make a total You don’t need a calculator to do a simple addition. n addition to as well as There are twelve registered letters to be sent in addition to this parcel. in addition as well in addition to as well as There are twelve registered letters to be sent in addition to this parcel. additional /? d (? )n? l/ adjective included as well as what there is already address /? dres/ noun 1. a set of details of the number of a house, the name of a street and the town where someone lives or works What is the doctor’s address? Our address is: 1 Cambridge Road, Teddington, Middlesex. 2. the set of letters, symbols and numbers that addition additional address Basic. m Page 5 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM address book identify someone’s email account i verb 1. to write details such as someone’s name, street and town on a letter or parcel That letter is addressed to me – don’t open it! 2. to speak or write to someone Please address your questions to the information office. Teachers are not normally addressed as ‘Sir’ here. 3. to make a formal speech to a group The chairman addressed the meeting. address book /? dres b? k/ noun a address book notebook or computer file in which you can record people’s names, home addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses adequate / d? kw? / adjective 1. adequate enough for a purpose We don’t have adequate supplies for the whole journey. His salary alone is barely adequate. 2. only just satisfactory adhesive /? d hi s? v/ adje ctive able to stick to things i noun a substance which sticks things together adhesive adjacent /? d e? s(? )nt/ adjective very adjacent close to or almost touching something My office is in an adjacent building. adjective / d ? kt? v/ noun a word which describes a noun In the phrase ‘a big black cloud’, ‘big’ and ‘black’ are both adjectives. adjective adjust /? d adjust st/ verb to make a slight change to something I need to adjust his belt a bit. to adjust to something to become used to something How are you adjusting to being a parent? admiration / dm? re (? )n/ noun readmiration spect for someone or something admire /? d ma / verb to consider admire someone or something with approval He was admired for his skill as a violinist. We admired the view from the balcony. admission /? d m (? )n/ noun 1. the act admission or fact of being allowed to go in to a place Admission to the exhibition is free on Sundays. My friend was refused admission to the restaurant because he was not wearing a tie. no admission no one can enter 2. statement saying that something bad is true Her 5 advantage admission that she had taken the money led to her arrest. admission fee /? d m (? )n fi / noun an amount of money paid to go into a place such as a museum admit /? d m? t/ verb to allow someone to go in to a place Children are admitted free, but adults have to pay. This ticket admits three people. (NOTE: admits – admitting – admitted) to admit (to) doing something to say that you have done something wrong They admitted stealing the car. adopt /? d? pt/ verb 1. to take someone legally as a son or daughter They have adopted a little boy. 2. o decide to start using something The book has been adopted for use in all English classes. We need to adopt a more flexible approach. adore /? d? / verb to like someone or something very much adult / d lt/ noun a fully-grown person i adjective 1. fully grown an adult tiger 2. relating to a matu re person or people adult fiction advance /? d v? ns/ verb to move forward The police slowly advanced across the square. i noun 1. a movement forwards The police have made some advances in their fight against crime. The team made an advance into their opponents’ half. 2. money paid as a loan or as a part of a payment o be made later i adjective done before something happens She made an advance payment of ? 3000. in advance earlier than the time something happens You must phone in advance to make an appointment. They asked us to pay ?200 in advance. advanced /? d v? nst/ adjective which is studied at a higher level He’s studying advanced mathematics. She’s studying for an advanced degree. advantage /? d v? nt? d / noun something which will help you to be successful Being able to drive a car is an advantage. Knowledge of two foreign languages is an advantage in this job. She has several advantages over the other job candidates. o take advanadmission fee admit adop t adore adult advance advanced advantage Basic. fm Page 6 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM adventure tage of something to profit from something They took advantage of the cheap fares on offer. to take advantage of someone to get something unto (good or fairly from someone best) advantage in a way that helps someone or something appear especially good She used her knowledge of Italian to good advantage. adventure /? d vent / noun a new, exciting and dangerous experience I must tell you about our adventures in the desert. adverb / dv b/ noun a word which applies to a verb, an adjective, another dverb or a whole sentence In the sentence ‘He walked slowly, because the snow was very thick. ’ both ‘slowly’ and ‘very’ are adverbs. adverse / dv s/ adjective (of condian tions) unpleasant and unwanted adverse reaction adverse effects advert / dv t/ noun same as adveradventure adverb adverse advert tisement advertise / dv? ta? z/ verb to make advertise su re that people know that something is for sale, or that something is going to happen The company is advertising for secretaries. Did you see that the restaurant is advertising cheap meals on Sundays? I saw this watch advertised in the paper. advertisement /? d v t? sm? nt/ noun n announcement which tries to make sure that people know that something is for sale, or that something is going to happen advertising / dv? ta? z / noun the act of making sure that people know that something is for sale, or that something is going to happen The company has increased the amount of money it spends on advertising. They spent millions on the advertising campaign. advice /? d va? s/ noun an opinion that someone gives you about what you should do He went to the bank manager for advice on how to pay his debts. They would not listen to the doctor’s advice. My grandfather gave me a very useful piece of advice.His mother’s advice was to stay in bed. (NOTE: no pluadvertisement advertising advice 6 afraid ral: use some advice or, for one item, a piece of advice) advise /? d va? z/ verb 1. to suggest to advise someone what they should do He advised her to save some of the money. 2. to tell someone officially that something has happened (formal ) They advised us that the sale of the house had been completed. adviser /? d va? z? /, advisor noun someone who helps people to make decisions about what to do aerial / e? ri? l/ noun a piece of equipment for receiving radio or TV signals aeroplane / e? r? ple? n/ noun a vehicle hich flies in the air, carrying passengers or goods affair /? fe? / noun 1. something which is relevant to one person or group of people only That’s his affair – it’s nothing to do with me. It’s an affair for the police. His business affairs were very complicated. 2. a sexual relationship with someone who is not your husband or wife He’s having an affair with his boss’s wife. 3. an event The party is just a famil y affair. 4. an event or situation that shocks people The whole sorry affair was on the front page of the newspapers for days. i plural noun affairs situations or activities relating to public or private life affect /? ekt/ verb to have an influence on someone or something The new regulations have affected our business. Train services have been seriously affected by the strike. affection /? fek n/ noun a feeling of liking someone, especially a friend She always spoke of him with great affection. afford /? f? d/ verb to have enough money to pay for something How will you afford such an expensive holiday? be unable to afford, can’t afford to be unable to accept something because it might cause you a problem I can’t afford a delay of more than three weeks. afraid /? fre? d/ adjective 1. frightened of something or someone I am afraid of nakes. He is too afraid to climb the ladder. 2. to be afraid (that) to be adviser aerial aeroplane affair affect affection afford afraid B asic. fm Page 7 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM after sorry to say I’m afraid that all the cakes have been sold. You can’t see the boss – I’m afraid he’s ill. Have you got a pocket calculator? – No, I’m afraid not. after / ? ft? / preposition 1. following or next in order to If today is Tuesday, the day after tomorrow is Thursday. They spoke one after the other. What’s the letter after Q in the alphabet? after you you go first 2. later than We arrived after six o’clock.We don’t let the children go out alone after dark. i conjunction later than a time After the snow fell, the motorways were blocked. Phone me after you get home. (NOTE: after after is used with many phrasal verbs: to look after, to take after, etc. ) after all 1. in spite of everything Everything was all right after all. 2. the fact is He should be OK; after all, he is eighteen now. afternoon / ? ft? nu n/ noun the time between midday and the evenin g He always has a little sleep in the afternoon. There is an afternoon flight to Paris. Can we meet tomorrow afternoon? afterwards / ? ft? w? dz/ adverb laterWe’ll have lunch first and go shopping afterwards. again /? en/ adverb 1. another time He had to take his driving test again. again and again several times, usually in a firm or determined way The police officer asked the same question again and again. 2. back as you were before Although I like going on holiday, I’m always glad to be home again. against /? enst/ preposition 1. so as to touch He was leaning against the wall. She hit her head against the low doorway. 2. in opposition to England is playing against South Africa tomorrow. It’s hard cycling uphill against the wind. They went against his advice. age /e? / noun the number of years which you have lived She is thirty years of age. He looks younger than his age. i plural noun ages a very long time (informal ) I’ve been waiting here for ages. It took us ages to get served. afternoon afterwards again against age 7 agreement aged /e? d d/ adjective with the age of 1 aged a girl aged nine She died last year, aged 83. aged2 / e? d ? d/ adjective very old an aged man agency / e? d ? nsi/ noun an office which represents another firm an advertising agency agenda /? d end? / noun a list of points for discussion what’s on the agenda? what are we going to discuss? i a set of hings that someone plans to do top of your agenda what someone wants most A holiday is top of my agenda at present. agent / e? d ? nt/ noun a person who works for or represents someone else Our head office is in London but we have an agent in Paris. aggression /? re? (? )n/ noun a feeling of anger against someone that is expressed, especially in physical force an act of aggression an attack on someone aggressive /? res? v/ adjective ready to attack someone aggressively /? res? vli/ adverb as if wanting to attack someone ago /? / adverb in the past He pho ned a few minutes ago. This all happened a long time ago. NOTE: ago aged agency agenda agent aggression aggressive aggressively ago always follows a word referring to time. ) agree /? ri / verb 1. to say yes or give agree permission After some discussion he agreed to our plan. (NOTE: You agree to or on a plan. ) 2. to say or show that you have the same opinion as someone else Most of the group agreed with her suggestion. agreement /? ri m? nt/ noun 1. the act or fact of thinking the same to reach an agreement or to come to an agreement on salaries Agreement between the two sides is still a long way off. they are in agreement with our plan they agree with our plan We discussed he plan with them and they are in agreement. 2. a contract to draw up or to draft an agreement We signed an agreement with the Italian company. agreement Basic. fm Page 8 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM ahead ahead /? hed/ adverb 1. in front ahead Our team was losing, but now we are ahead again. Run on ahead a nd find some seats for us. You need to go straight ahead, and then turn left. 2. in future My diary is filled with appointments for six weeks ahead. 3. before We try to fill the vacancies at least three weeks ahead. ahead of /? hed ? v/ 1. in front of Ahead of us was a steep hill. They ran on ahead of the others. 2. in future time You have a mass of work ahead of you. 3. before (informal ) They drafted in extra police ahead of the international match. aid /e? d/ noun 1. help, especially money, food or other gifts given to people living in difficult conditions aid to the earthquake zone an aid worker (NOTE: This meaning of aid has no plural. ) in aid of in order to help We give money in aid of the Red Cross. They are collecting money in aid of refugees. 2. something which helps you to do something kitchen aids i verb 1. to help something to happen 2. to help someone aim /e? m/ noun what you are trying to do His aim is to do well at school and hen go to university. One of our aims is to increase the speed of service. i verb 1. to plan to do something We aim to go on holiday in June. 2. to point a gun at someone or something He was aiming or aiming a gun at the policeman. air /e? / noun 1. a mixture of gases which cannot be seen, but which is all around us and which every animal breathes His breath was like steam in the cold air. 2. the air the space around things and above the ground He threw the ball up into the air. (NOTE: These meanings of air have no plural. ) i adjective referring to a method of travelling or sending goods using aircraft new air routes y air in an aircraft I don’t enjoy travelling by air. It’s quicker to send the letter by air. i verb to make a room or clothes fresh by giving them more air Let’s open the windows to air the room. aircraft / e? kr? ft/ noun a vehicle which flies in the air The passengers got into or boarded the aircraft. The airline aid aim air aircraft 8 alive has a fleet of ten aircraft. (NOTE: The plur al is aircraft: one aircraft, six aircraft. ) airfare / e? fe? / noun the amount of money a passenger has to pay to travel on an aircraft air force / e? f? s/ noun a country’s military air organisation airline / e? la? n/ noun a company which akes people or goods to places in aircraft The airline has been voted the most popular with business travellers. He’s an airline pilot. airplane / e? ple? n/ noun US an aircraft airport / e? p? t/ noun a place where aircraft land and take off You can take the underground to the airport. We are due to arrive at Heathrow Airport at midday. alarm /? l? m/ noun 1. a loud warning sound An alarm will sound if someone touches the wire. to raise the alarm to warn everyone of danger 2. same as alarm clock i verb to frighten someone I don’t want to alarm you, but there’s a police car parked outside your house. alarm clock /? ? m kl? k/ noun a clock which rings a bell to wake you up album / lb? m/ noun 1. a large book 2. a coll ection of songs on a CD, cassette or record alcohol / lk? h? l/ noun a substance in drinks such as beer or wine that can make people drunk They will not serve alcohol to anyone under the age of 18. alcoholic / lk? h? l? k/ adjective relating to alcohol alert /? l t/ adjective watching or listening carefully, ready to notice something alike /? la? k/ adjective very similar i adverb in a similar way My sister and I just don’t think alike. The change will affect rich and poor alike. alive /? la? v/ adjective 1. iving He was still alive when he was rescued from the burning building. When my grandfather was alive, there were no supermarkets. (NOTE: not used in front of a noun: the fish is alive but a live fish. ) 2. lively airfare air force airline airplane airport alarm alarm clock album alcohol alcoholic alert alike alive Basic. fm Page 9 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM all The holiday village really comes alive to come alive to become at night. busy and active all /? l/ adject ive, pronoun everything or all everyone They all or All of them like coffee. All trains stop at Clapham Junction. Did you pick all (of) the tomatoes?Where are all the children? i adverb 1. completely The ground was all white after the snow had fallen. I forgot all about her birthday. 2. all by yourself all alone You can’t do it all by yourself. I’m all by myself this evening – my girlfriend’s gone out. all along right from the beginning all at once suddenly all in 1. tired out 2. including everything all of a sudden suddenly all over 1. everywhere over something 2. finished all right well She was ill yesterday but she’s all right now. all the same in spite of this I’m not really keen on horror films, but I’ll go with you all the same. allergic /? l d ? k/ adjective suffering llergic from or referring to an allergy to be allergic to to react badly to a substance Many people are allergic to grass pollen. She is allergic to cats. 9 alpha betical Jack has been my closest ally in the campaign. ally2 /? la? / verb to ally yourself with or to someone to join forces with someone The unions have allied themselves with the opposition. (NOTE: allies ally – allying – allied) almost / ? lm st/ adverb nearly almost London is almost as far from here as Paris. She’s almost as tall as I am. She’ll eat almost anything. Hurry up, it’s almost time for the train to leave. alone /? l n/ adjective 1. with no one lse She lives alone with her cats. He was all alone in the shop. 2. only She alone knew the importance of the message. i adverb without other people We don’t let the children go out alone after dark. I don’t like travelling alone. leave alone 1. not to disturb someone Leave your sister alone, she’s trying to read. 2. to stop touching or playing with something Leave the cat alone, it doesn’t like being stroked. Leave those keys alone, the noise is annoying me. to go it alone to do something, especially a business activity, without help from anyone along /? l / preposition 1. by the side of He has planted fruit trees along oth sides of the garden path. The river runs along one side of the castle. 2. in a straight forward direction She ran along the pavement. Walk along the street until you come to the post office. I was just driving along when I caught sight of my brother. 3. to a place John came along after about five minutes. Is it ok if I bring a friend along? aloud /? la? d/ adverb in a voice which can be easily heard alphabet / lf? bet/ noun a series of letters in a specific order, e. g. A, B, C, etc G comes before H in the alphabet. If you’re going to Greece on holiday, you ought to learn the Greek alphabet. alphabetical / lf? bet? k(? l/ adjective relating to the alphabet in alphabetical order in order of the first letter of each word The words in the dictionary are in alphabetical order. Sort out the address cards into alphabetica l order of the people’s names. alone along allergy / l? d i/ noun a bad reaction to allergy a substance which makes you sneeze, or makes your skin itch, e. g. She has an allergy to household dust. The baby has a wheat allergy. allow /? la? / verb to let someone do allow something She allowed me to borrow her book. Smoking is not allowed in the restaurant. You are allowed to take two pieces of hand luggage onto the plane. allowance /? a ns/ noun 1. an allowance amount of money paid to someone regularly a weekly allowance 2. an amount of money which you are allowed to earn without paying tax on it 3. to make allowances for to take something into account You must make allowances for his age. ally1 / la? / noun 1. a country which ally works together with another, especially in a war (NOTE: The plural is allies. ) 2. someone who is willing to support you in something you want to achieve aloud alphabet alphabetical Basic. fm Page 10 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM already already /? l redi/ adverb before now or already I’ve albefore the time mentioned eady done my shopping. It was already past ten o’clock when he arrived. also / ? ls / adverb in addition to something or someone else that has been mentioned He’s a keen cyclist and his sister also likes to cycle when she can. She sings well and can also play the violin. (NOTE: also is usually placed bealso fore the main verb or after a modal or auxiliary verb. ) alter / ? lt? / verb to become different, or alter make something different, especially in small ways or in parts only They wanted to alter the terms of the contract after they had signed it. The shape of his face had altered slightly. alteration / ? lt? re (? )n/ noun 1. the ct of becoming different or of making something different 2. something that has been, or needs, changing She made some alterations in the design. alternate1 /? l t n? t/ adjective every other one We see each other on alternate Sundays. alternate2 / ? lt? ne? t / verb to keep changing from one particular position or state to another alternative /? l t n? t? v/ adjective 1. in place of something else If the plane is full, we will put you on an alternative flight. Do you have an alternative solution? 2. following a different way from usual i noun something which you do instead of something else Now that she’s ill, do we have any alternative o calling the holiday off? although /? l / conjunction in spite of the fact that Although it was freezing, she didn’t put a coat on. I’ve never been into that shop although I’ve often walked past it. altogether / ? lt? e / adverb taking everything together The food was ? 10 and the drinks ? 5, so that makes ? 15 altogether. The staff of the three shops come to 200 altogether. always / ? lwe? z/ adverb 1. every time She is always late for work. Why does it always rain when we want to go for a walk? 2. all the time It’s always alteration alternate alternate alternative al though altogether always 10 amount hot in tropical countries. . frequently, especially when someone finds it anShe’s always asking me to noying lend her money. am /? m, m/ 1st person present singular of be a. m. / e? em/ adverb before midday I have to catch the 7 a. m. train to work every day. Telephone calls made before 6 a. m. are charged at the cheap rate. (NOTE: a. m. is usually used to am a. m. show the exact hour and the word o’clock is left out) amazement /? me? zm? nt/ noun great amazement surprise To his amazement he won first prize. amazing /? me? z / adjective 1. very surprising It was amazing that she never suspected anything. 2. extremely It was an interesting and unusual mazing experience, sailing so far from land at night. ambition / m b (? )n/ noun a wish to do something special His great ambition is to ride on an elephant. ambulance / mbj? l? ns/ noun a van which carries sick or injured people to hospital When she fell down the stairs, her husband call ed an ambulance. American /? mer? k? n/ adjective relating to America or to the United States among /? m ? /, amongst /? m ? st/ preposition 1. surrounded by or in the middle of He was standing among a crowd of tourists. 2. between a number of people in a group Let’s share the cake among us. 3. in addition to other people or things Jack was there, mong others. amount /? ma? nt/ noun a quantity of something such as money The amount in my bank account has reached ? 1000. We spent a large amount of time just waiting. a certain amount some but not a lot Painting the house will take a certain amount of time. amount to phrasal verb 1. to make a total of My year’s savings amount to less than ? 1000. 2. to be similar or equal to something I think what he said amounts to a refusal to take part. 3. to amount to the same thing to mean the amazing ambition ambulance American among amount Basic. fm Page 11 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM amuse same, to be the same Whether he took ash or free holidays, it all amounts to the same thing. The remaining problems don’t amount to much. amuse /? mju z/ verb 1. to make someone laugh This story will amuse you. to amuse yourself to play or get pleasure from what you are doing The children amused themselves quietly while their parents talked. 2. to make the time pass pleasantly for someone How can we amuse the children on the journey? amusement /? mju zm? nt/ noun 1. a feeling of pleasure caused by something that is funny 2. to someone’s amusement making someone feel pleasure in a funny situation Much to her amusement, the band played ‘Happy Birthday to you! . 3. a way of passing the time pleasantly They had planned several visits for the guest’s amusement. amusing /? mju z / adjective funny an /? n, n/ ? a analysis /? n l? s? s/ noun a close examination of the parts or elements of something job analysis to make an analysis of the sales or a sales analysis to carry out an analysis of the marke t potential (NOTE: The plural is analyses /? n l? si z/. ) ancient / e? n nt/ adjective very old, or belonging to a time long ago He was riding an ancient bicycle. and /? n, ? nd, nd/ conjunction used to join two words or phrases All my uncles and aunts live in the country.The children were running about and singing. Come and sit down next to me. amuse amusement amusing an analysis ancient and (NOTE: and is used to say numbers after 100: ‘seven hundred and two and so on, and so forth, (702)’) and so on and so forth with other similar things He talked about plants, flowers, vegetables, and so on. anger / ? ?/ noun a feeling of being very annoyed He managed to control his anger. She couldn’t hide the anger she felt. angle / ? ?l/ noun a corner where two lines meet She planted the tree in the angle of the two walls. at an angle anger angle 11 annoying not straight The shop front is at an angle to the road. ngrily / ? r? li/ adverb in an angry way He shouted angrily when the children climbed over the fence. angry / ? ri/ adjective upset and annoyed, and sometimes wanting to harm someone The shopkeeper is angry with the children because they broke his window. He gets angry if the post is late. I am angry that the government is doing nothing to prevent crime. When the cashier still hadn’t arrived at midday the boss got even angrier. angrily angry (NOTE: angrier – angriest) animal / n? m(? )l/ noun a living thing animal that moves independently I love having animals as pets. (NOTE: animal may include humans in scientific contexts. )