The Longman American Defining

Words Used in the Definitions in this All the definitions in this dictionary have been written using the on this list. If a definition includes a that is not on the list, that word is shown in SMALL CAPITAL LETTERS.

TABLES The Defining Vocabulary has been carefully chosen after a thorough study of all the well-known frequency lists of English words. Furthermore, only the most common and “central” meanings of the words on the list have actually been used in definitions. We have also used a special computer program that checks every entry to make sure that words from outside the Defining Vocabulary do not appear in definitions. Restrictions on Part of Speech For some words on the list, a label such as n. or adj. is shown. This means that this particular word is used in definitions only in the part of speech shown. So anger, for example, is used only as a noun and not as a verb. But if no word class is shown for a word, it can be used in any of its usual parts of speech: answer, for example, is used in definitions both as a noun and as a verb. Compound Words Definitions occasionally include compound words formed from words in the Defining Vocabulary, but this is only done if the meaning is completely clear. For example, the word businessman (formed from business and man) is used in some definitions. Prefixes and Suffixes The main list is followed by a list of common prefixes and suffixes. These can be added to words on the main list to form derived words, provided the meaning is completely clear. For example, the word nervousness (formed by adding -ness to nervous) is used in some definitions. Phrasal Verbs Phrasal verbs formed by combining words in the Defining Vocabulary (for example, put up with) are NOT used in definitions in the dictionary, except in a very small number of cases where the phrasal verb is extremely common and there is no common equivalent. So, for example, give up (as in give up smoking) and take off (as in the plane took off) are occasionally used. Proper Nouns The Defining Vocabulary does not include the names of actual places, nationalities, religions, and so on, which are occasionally mentioned in definitions. TABLES n.

n. n.

n. n. n. adj., n. adj., n. n.

n. adj.

adj. n., v. n.,

n. v.

adj. v.

n. n.

n. n. adj. n. n.

n. n. n. n., v. n., v. conj.

camera camp candy cap car card care careful bring broad broadcast brother brown building bullet bunch burn burst bury bus business busy but by C cake calculate call calm both bottle boy brain branch brave bread break breath breathe breed brick capital box breakfast can brush bucket bridge butter bright build bush bottom bowl breast button buy

adj., adj., n.

adv., adv.,

adv., adv., n. adj., adv. adj., n.

adj., n. adj.,

n. n. adj.

n. n.

adj., adv., adv., adj.,

n.

n.

adj.

n.

prep. n. adv. prep. body boil bomb bone border bored boring born borrow belt bend beneath berry beside(s) best better between beyond bicycle bird birth bite bitter blade blame bleed blind block blood blow blue board beautiful beauty because become bed beer before begin beginning behave behavior behind belief believe bell belong below boot book boat bill big black

adv.

adj., n. adj.,

adj. 1853

n. n. n. adv.

n. adj., adv., adv., adj.,

n., v. n.,

n. n. n., v. n.,

adj. n.

n. n.

n. bad bear beard barely base baseball basic basket basketball bath bathtub battle be beach beak beam bean awkward B baby back background backward(s) bake balance ball band at atom attach attack attempt attend attention attitude attract attractive authority available average avoid awake article artificial artist as ash ashamed ask asleep association away bag beat bar bank adj.

n.

adj. n. n.

n. adv., pron., pron., adv.,

determiner

air arrival arrive art apart apartment appear appearance apple appropriate approval approve area argue argument arm army around arrange arrangement angry animal announce announcement annoy another answer anxiety anxious any anymore anyone anything anywhere alone along alphabet already also although always among amount amuse amusement amusing an ancient and anger airplane airport alcohol alive all allow almost angle

(to)

n. n.

adj.

adv., adv., n. adj. actress

v.

adv., conj., adv.,

n.

prep. prep. ago aim agree agreement ahead again against age afternoon afterward affair affect afford afraid after advertise advertisement advice advise advantage adventure adverb admiration admire admit adult advanced add addition address adjective actual actually act action activity actor, achieve acid across accept acceptable accident according account abroad absence absent ability able about above A a abbreviation active 1854

careless climb v. control deal with disease n. carriage clock n. convenient death disgusting carry close adj., adv., conversation debt dish n. case n. v. cook n., v. decay dismiss castle n. cloth cookie deceit distance n. TABLES cat clothes cool deceive distant catch v. clothing copy decide divide v. cattle cloud n. corn decision do v. cause club n. corner n. decorate doctor n. ceiling coal correct adj. decoration document n. celebrate coast n. cost decrease dog n. cell coat n. cotton deep adj. dollar cent coffee cough defeat door center n. coin n. could defense double adj., v. centimeter cold adj., n. council defend doubt central collar n. country n. definite down adv., century collect v. courage degree prep. ceremony college course n. delay draw v. certain adj., color court n. deliberate drawer determiner comb cover delicate dream chain combination cow n. deliver dress n., v. chair n. combine v. crack n., v. demand drink chance n. come crash n., v. department drive n., v. change comfort crazy depend drop character comfortable cream n. dependent drug n. charge command creature depth drum n. chase v. committee crime describe drunk past part., cheap common adj. criminal description adj. cheat v. communicate criticism desert n. dry check n., v. communication criticize deserve duck n. cheek n. company crop n. design dull adj. cheerful compare cross n., v. desirable during cheese comparison crowd n. desire dust n. chemical compete cruel desk duty chemistry competition crush v. despite chest competitor cry destroy chew complain cup n. destruction E chicken n. complaint cupboard detail n. each chief complete cure determination eager child completely curl determined ear children complicated current n. develop early chin compound n. curtain n. dictionary earn chocolate computer curve die v. earth n. choice n. concern v. customer difference east choose concerning cut different eastern church n. concert difficult easy adj. cigarette condition n. difficulty eat circle n. confidence D dig v. economic circular adj. confident daily adj., adv. dinner edge n. citizen confuse damage dip v. educate city connect dance direct educated claim connection danger direction education class n. conscious dangerous dirt effect n. clay consider dark dirty adj. effective clean adv., v. consist date n. disappoint effort clear adj., v. container daughter discover egg n. clerk continue day discovery eight clever continuous dead adj. discuss eighth cliff contract n. deal n. discussion either 1855 elbow n. existence figure n. friend grave n. S E L B A T elect v. expect fill v. friendly gray adj., n. election expensive film v. (and n. for frighten great adj. electric experience camera) frightening green electricity explain final adj. from greet electronic explanation finally front adj., n. greeting else explode financial fruit n. ground n. embarrass explosion find v. full adj. group n. emotion explosive find out fun grow emphasize express v. fine adj. funeral growth employ v. expression finger n. funny guard v. employer extreme finish fur n. guess v. employment eye fire furniture guest n. empty adj., v. firm adj., n. further adj., adv. guide enclose first adv., future guilty encourage F determiner gun n. end face fish enemy fact fit adj., v. G energy factory five gain v. H engine fail v. fix v. gallon habit engineer n. failure flag n. game n. hair enjoy faint adj., v. flame n. garage n. half enjoyable fair adj. flash n., v. garden hall enjoyment fairly flat adj. gas n. hammer n. enough faith flesh gasoline hand n. enter faithful flight gate n. handle entertain fall float v. gather v. hang v. entertainment false adj. flood general happen v. entrance n. familiar floor n. generally happy envelope family flour n. generous hard environment famous flow gentle hardly equal adj., n., v. far flower n. get harm equipment farm fly n., v. gift harmful escape farmer fold girl hat especially farther follow give v. hate v. establish farthest food glad hatred even adj., adv. fashion n. foot n. glass adj., n. have evening fashionable football glue he adj. event fast adj., adv. for prep. go v. head n. ever fasten forbid goat health every fat force n., v. god, God healthy everyone father n. foreign gold hear everything fault n. forest good heart everywhere favorable forever goodbye heat evil favorite adj. forget goods heaven exact adj. fear n. forgive govern heavy adj. exactly feather n. fork n. government heel examination feature form n., v. graceful height examine feed v. formal grade hello example feel v. former gradual help excellent feeling(s) fortunate grain helpful except conj., female forward(s) adv. gram her(s) prep. fence n. four(th) grammar here exchange fever frame n. grand adj. herself excite few free grandfather hide v. exciting field n. freedom grandmother high adj., adv. excuse fierce freeze v. grandparent highschool exercise fifth frequent adj. grass n. hill exist fight fresh grateful him 1856

himself increase just adv. let v. man n. his independent justice let go of manage historical indoor(s) let out manager history industrial letter manner hit v. industry K level adj., n. many TABLES hold infect keep v. library map n. hole infection key n. lid march holiday infectious kick lie mark hollow adj. influence kill v. lie down market n. holy inform kilogram life marriage home adv., n. information kilometer lift married honest injure kind light marry honor n. injury king like prep., v. mass hook n. ink n. kiss likely match hope inner kitchen limit material n. hopeful insect knee n. line n. mathematics horn inside kneel lion matter horse n. instead knife n. lip may v. hospital institution knock liquid me hot adj. instruction knot list n. meal hotel instrument know v. listen v. mean v. hour insult v. knowledge literature meaning n. house n. insurance liter means how adv. insure little measure human intelligent L live v. meat humorous intelligence lack load medical adj. humor intend lady loaf n. medicine hundred(th) intention lake local adj. meet v. hungry interest lamb lock meeting hunt v. interesting lamp lonely melt hurry international adj. land long adj., adv. member hurt v. interrupt language look memory husband n. into large look for mental introduce last adv., loose adj. mention v. introduction determiner lose mess I invent late loss message ice n. invitation lately lot messy idea invite laugh loud metal n. if involve laughter love meter ignore inward(s) law low adj. method ill adj. iron adj., n. lawyer lower v. middle adj., n. illegal island lay v. loyal might v. illness it pron. layer n. loyalty mile image its lazy n. luck n. military adj. imaginary itself lead/led v. lucky milk imagination leaf n. lung million(th) imagine lean v. mind immediate J learn mine n., pron. immediately jaw n. least M mineral importance jewel leather machine n. minister n. important jewelry leave v. machinery minute n. impressive job left magazine mirror n. improve join leg n. magic miss v. improvement joint legal mail mist n. in adv., prep. joke lend main adj. mistake inch judge length adv., make v. mix v. include judgment pron. make into mixture including juice less make up model n. income jump lesson male modern adj. 1857 moment news operation pattern n. pole n. S E L B A T money newspaper opinion pause police n. monkey n. next adj., adv. opponent pay polish month nice opportunity payment polite monthly night oppose peace political mood nine as opposed to peaceful politician moon n. ninth pen n. politics moral adj. no adv., opposition pencil n. pool n. more determiner or people n. poor morning noise n. orange pepper n. popular most none pron. order per population mother n. nonsense ordinary perfect adj. port n. motor adj., n. no one organ perform position n. mountain nor organize performance positive mouse normal organization perhaps possess mouth n. north origin period n. possession move v. northern original permanent possible adj. movement nose n. other permission possibly movie not ought person possibility much note our(s) personal post mud nothing out adj., adv. persuade pot n. multiply notice outdoor(s) pet n. potato murder noun outer photograph pound n. muscle n. now outside phrase n. pour music nowhere over adv., prep. physical adj. powder n. musician number n. owe piano n. power n. must v. nurse own determiner pick v. powerful my nut owner pick up practical mysterious oxygen picture n. practice mystery piece n. praise O pig n. pray obey P pile n. prayer N object n. pack v. pilot n. prefer nail obtain package pin preparation name occasion n. page n. pink adj., n. prepare narrow adj. ocean pain n. pipe n. present adj., n. nasty o’clock painful pity preserve v. nation odd paint place president national adj. of painting plain adj., n. press v. natural off adv., prep. pair n. plan pressure n. nature offense pale adj. plane n. pretend navy offend pan n. plant pretty adj. near adj., adv., offensive adj. pants plastic prevent prep. offer paper n. plate n. previous nearly office parallel adj., n. play previously neat officer parent n. pleasant price n. necessary official park please priest neck often part n. pleased prince need oil n. particular adj. pleasure n. principle needle n. old partly plenty pron. print negative old-fashioned partner n. plural prison neither on adv., prep. party n. pocket n. prisoner nerve n. once adv. pass v. poem private adj. nervous one passage poet prize n. nest n. onion passenger poetry probably adv. net n. only past point problem network n. onto path pointed process n. never open adj., v. patience poison produce v. new operate patient adj. poisonous product 1858

production reaction road seed n. sideways profession read v. rob seem sight n. profit n. ready adj. rock n. seize sign program real roll v. sell v. signal progress n. realize romantic adj. send silence n. TABLES promise really roof n. sensation silent pronounce reason room n. sense n. silk pronunciation reasonable root n. sensible silly adj. proof n. receive rope n. sensitive silver property recent rose sentence n. similar proposal recently rough adj. separate adv., v. similarity protect recognize round adj. series simple protection record n., v. row n., v. serious since protective red royal adj. seriously sincere protest reduce rub v. servant sing proud reduction rubber serve single adj. prove refusal rude service n. singular provide refuse v. ruin v. set n., v. sink v. public adj. regard v. rule settle v. sister publicly regular adj. ruler seven(th) sit pull related run several situation pump relative rush v. severe six(th) punish relation sew size n. punishment relationship sex n. skill pure relax S sexual skillful purple religion sad shade skin n. purpose n. religious safe adj. shadow n. skirt n. push remain safety shake sky n. put remark n. sail shall slave n. remember salary shame n. sleep remind sale shape slide v. Q remove v. salt n. share slight adj. quality rent same sharp adj. slip v. quantity repair sand n. she slippery quarrel repeat v. satisfaction sheep slope quarter n. reply satisfactory sheet slow queen n. report satisfy shelf small question represent save v. shell n. smart quick adj. representative n. say v. shelter smell quiet adj., n. request n. scale n. shine v. smile respect scatter v. shiny smoke responsible scene ship n. smooth adj. R rest school n. shirt snake n. rabbit n. restaurant science shock n., v. snow race restrict scientific shoe n. so radio n. result scientist shoot v. soap n. railroad return n., v. scissors shop social adj. rain reward screen n. shore n. society raise v. rice screw short adj. sock n. range n. rich sea shot n. soft rank n. rid search should soil n. rapid adj. ride season n. shoulder n. soldier n. rare right adj., adv., seat shout solid rat n. n. second adv., n., show n., v. solution rate n. ring determiner shut solve rather ripe secrecy shy some pron., raw rise secret sick adj. determiner reach risk secretary sickness somehow react river see v. side someone 1859 something stomach n. sympathy thread n. truth S E L B A T sometimes stone n. system threat trust somewhere stop threaten try v. son store three tube song storm n. T throat tune n. soon story table n. through adv., turn sore adj. straight adj., tail n. prep. twice sorrow n. adv. take v. throw twist sorry strange take care of thumb n. two sort n. stranger talk ticket n. type n. soul stream n. tall tie typical sound n., v. street taste tight adj. soup strength tax time n. sour adj. stretch v. taxi n. tire n. U south strict tea tired ugly southern strike v. teach tiring uncle space n. string n. team n. title under prep. spade strong tear v., n. to understand speak structure n. technical tobacco underwear special adj. struggle telephone today undo specific student television toe n. uniform n. speech study tell together union speed n. stupid temperature toilet unit spell v. style n. temporary tomorrow unite spend subject n. ten(th) tongue universe spin v. substance tend tonight university spirit n. subtract tendency too unless split v. succeed tennis tool n. until spoil v. success tense n. tooth up adj., adv., spoon n. successful tent top adj., n. prep. sport(s) n. such terrible total adj., n. upper adj. spot n. suck v. terror touch upright adj., adv. spread v. sudden test tourist upset v., adj. spring suffer than toward upside down square adj., n. sugar n. thank tower n. upstairs adj., stage n. suggest that conj., pron., town adv. stair suit determiner toy n. urgent stamp suitcase the track us stand v. suitable theater trade use standard sum n. their(s) tradition useful star n. summer n. them traditional useless start sun n. then adv. traffic n. usual state supper there train statement supply n., v. therefore training station n. support these translate V stay suppose they transparent vacation steady adj. sure adj. thick adj. trap valley steal v. surface n. thief travel valuable adj. steam n. surprise thin adj. treat v. value n. steel n. surround v. thing treatment variety steep adj. swallow v. think v. tree various stem n. swear third tribe vegetable step sweep v. this pron., trick n., v. vehicle stick sweet determiner trip n. verb sticky swell v. thorough tropical very adv. stiff adj. swim those trouble victory still adj., adv. swing though truck n. view n. sting sword thought true adj. violence stitch sympathetic thousand(th) trunk violent 1860

visit way whenever winter n. write voice n. we where wire n. wrong adj., adv., vote weak whether wise adj. n. vowel wealth which wisdom weapon whichever wish TABLES wear v. while conj. with Y W weather n. whip within prep. yard waist weave v. whisper without prep. year wait v. wedding white woman yearly wake v. week who wood yellow adj., n. walk weekly adj., adv. whole wooden yesterday wall n. weigh whose wool yet wander weight n. why word n. you want v. welcome wide adj., adv. work young war n. well adj., adv., n. width world your(s) warm adj., v. west wife worm n. yourself warmth western adj. wild adj., adv. worry warn wet adj. will worse warning what determiner, willing worst Z wash pron. win v. worth zero waste whatever wind n., v. would watch wheat window wound water wheel n. wine n. wrap v. wave when adv., conj. wing n. wrist

Prefixes and Suffixes that Can Be Used with Words in the Defining Vocabulary -able -ence in- -ive non- -al -er -ing -ive re- -ance -ful -ion -less self -ation -ic ir- -ly -th dis -ical -ish -ment un- -ed im- -ity -ness -y