merge
If one thing merges with another, or is merged with another, they combine or come together to make one whole thing. You can also say that two things merge, or are merged.
    My life merged with his.
    Bank of America merged with a rival bank.
    The rivers merge just north of a vital irrigation system.
    The two countries merged into one.
    He sees sense in merging the two agencies while both are new.
    Then he showed me how to merge the graphic with text on the same screen.
If one sound, colour, or object merges into another, the first changes so gradually into the second that you do not notice the change.
    Like a chameleon, he could merge unobtrusively into the background.
    His features merged with the darkness.
    Night and day begin to merge.

The road merged together to become one single road.

emerge
To emerge means to come out from an enclosed or dark space such as a room or a vehicle, or from a position where you could not be seen.
    Richard was waiting outside the door as she emerged.
    The postman emerged from his van soaked to the skin.
    ...holes made by the emerging adult beetle.
If you emerge from a difficult or bad experience, you come to the end of it.
    There is growing evidence that the economy is at last emerging from recession.
    ...their plans to emerge from bankruptcy by February of next year.
If a fact or result emerges from a period of thought, discussion, or investigation, it becomes known as a result of it.
    ...the growing corruption that has emerged in the past few years...
    It soon emerged that neither the July nor August mortgage repayment had been collected.
    The emerging caution over numbers is perhaps only to be expected.
If someone or something emerges as a particular thing, they become recognized as that thing. (JOURNALISM)
    Mr Shevardnadze emerged as a major figure in the reform movement.
    Vietnam has emerged as the world's third-biggest rice exporter.
    New leaders have emerged.
When something such as an organization or an industry emerges, it comes into existence. (JOURNALISM)
    ...the new republic that emerged in October 1917.
    ...the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe.

A little rabbit emerged from the hole to look for food.

emergence
The emergence of something is the process or event of its coming into existence.
    ...the emergence of new democracies in East and Central Europe.

It was interesting to watch the plants' slow emergence from the soil.

emergency   紧急情况
It's an emergency: get her to the hospital as soon as possible.

venture
A venture is a project or activity which is new, exciting, and difficult because it involves the risk of failure.
    ...his latest writing venture.
    ...a Russian-American joint venture.
If you venture somewhere, you go somewhere that might be dangerous. (LITERARY)
    People are afraid to venture out for fear of sniper attacks.
    Few Europeans who had ventured beyond the Himalayas had returned to tell the tale.
= go
If you venture a question or statement, you say it in an uncertain way because you are afraid it might be stupid or wrong. (WRITTEN)
    `So you're Leo's girlfriend?' he ventured.
    He ventured that plants draw part of their nourishment from the air.
    Stephen ventured a few more sentences in halting Welsh.
If you venture to do something that requires courage or is risky, you do it.
    `Don't ask,' he said, whenever Ginny ventured to raise the subject.
= dare
If you venture into an activity, you do something that involves the risk of failure because it is new and different.
    He enjoyed little success when he ventured into business.

Any kinds of venture capital investment contains the risk factors.

endurance
Endurance is the ability to continue with an unpleasant or difficult situation, experience, or activity over a long period of time.
    The exercise obviously will improve strength and endurance.
    ...his powers of endurance.

It takes mental and physical endurance to run a marathon.

misleading
If you describe something as misleading, you mean that it gives you a wrong idea or impression.
    It would be misleading to say that we were friends.
    The article contains several misleading statements.
．misleadingly
    The data had been presented misleadingly.

Her smile was misleading because she was actually upset.

plow   犁
People can use machines to plow the field now.

stratoshpere   平流层

dew
Dew is small drops of water that form on the ground and other surfaces outdoors during the night.
    The dew gathered on the leaves.

Dew looks like pearls on a leaf.

cumlus   积云

dwarf
If one person or thing is dwarfed by another, the second is so much bigger than the first that it makes them look very small.
    His figure is dwarfed by the huge red McDonald's sign.
    The US air travel market dwarfs that of Britain.
Dwarf is used to describe a particular kind of star which is quite small and not very bright.
    ...a white dwarf star.
    ...a red dwarf.
Dwarf is used to describe varieties or species of plants and animals which are much smaller than the usual size for their kind.
    ...dwarf shrubs.
In children's stories, a dwarf is an imaginary creature that is like a small man. Dwarfs often have magical powers.
In former times, people who were much smaller than normal were called dwarfs. (OLD-FASHIONED, OFFENSIVE)

The Seven Dwarves were happy when staying with Snow White.

perserverance   持久性

cheque
A cheque is a printed form on which you write an amount of money and who it is to be paid to. Your bank then pays the money to that person from your account.
    He wrote them a cheque for s10,000.
    I'd like to pay by cheque.
    See also blank cheque, traveller's cheque.

She writes a cheque for her bills.

prop
If you prop an object on or against something, you support it by putting something underneath it or by resting it somewhere.
    He rocked back in the chair and propped his feet on the desk.
    He propped his bike against the bus.
+prop up props up; propping up; propped up
Prop up means the same as prop.
    Sam slouched back and propped his elbows up on the bench behind him.
    If you have difficulty sitting like this, prop up your back against a wall.
A prop is a stick or other object that you use to support something.
To be a prop for a system, institution, or person means to be the main thing that keeps them strong or helps them survive.
    The army is one of the main props of the government.
    I had two props in my life; one was alcohol, the other work.
The props in a play or film are all the objects or pieces of furniture that are used in it.
    ...the backdrop and props for a stage show.
    ...stage props.
In rugby, a prop or prop forward is one of the two players who position themselves in the front row when a group called a scrum is formed.
A prop is the same as a propeller. (INFORMAL)

Here are some props for the show.

vacant
If something is vacant, it is not being used by anyone.
    Half way down the coach was a vacant seat.
    In every major city there are more vacant buildings than there are homeless people.
= empty
If a job or position is vacant, no one is doing it or in it at present, and people can apply for it.
    A number of senior people were regarded as likely to occupy the now vacant post.
    The post of chairman has been vacant for some time.
A vacant look or expression is one that suggests that someone does not understand something or that they are not thinking about anything in particular.
    She had a kind of vacant look on her face.
= blank
．vacantly
    He looked vacantly out of the window.
    ...African children, vacantly staring into a bleak world.

The apartment is vacant, so you can move in any time you want.

lord
In Britain, a lord is a man who has a high rank in the nobility, for example an earl, a viscount, or a marquis.
    She married a lord and lives in this huge house in the Cotswolds.
    A few days earlier he had received a telegram from Lord Lloyd.
In Britain, judges, bishops, and some male members of the nobility are addressed as `my Lord'.
    My lord, I am instructed by my client to claim that the evidence has been tampered with.
In Britain, Lord is used in the titles of some officials of very high rank.
    He was Lord Chancellor from 1970 until 1974.
    ...Sir Brian Hutton, the Lord Chief Justice for Northern Ireland.
The Lords is the same as the House of Lords.
    It's very likely the bill will be defeated in the Lords.
In former times, especially in medieval times, a lord was a man who owned land or property and who had power and authority over people.
    It was the home of the powerful lords of Baux.
In the Christian church, people refer to God and to Jesus Christ as the Lord.
    I know the Lord will look after him.
    She prayed now. `Lord, help me to find courage.'
    ...the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    See also Our Lord.
If you describe a man as the lord of a particular area, industry, or thing, you mean that they have total authority and power over it.
    A century ago the aristocracy were truly lords of the earth.
    ...the lords of the black market.
Lord is used in exclamations such as `good Lord!' and `oh Lord!' to express surprise, shock, frustration, or annoyance about something.
    `Good lord, that's what he is: he's a policeman.'.
    `They didn't fire you for drinking, did they?'n`Lord, no! I only drink beer, nowadays.'
= heavens
You can say `Lord knows' to emphasize something that you feel or believe very strongly.
    I've got to go home, but Lord knows I dread it.
You can say `Lord knows' to emphasize that you do not know something.
    He would turn up at meetings, but Lord knows where he came from.
If someone lords it over you, they act in a way that shows that they think they are better than you, especially by giving lots of orders.
    Alex seemed to enjoy lording it over the three girls.

He's an English Lord honored by the King.

modernizing   现代化

terminal   末期，终端
The plane took off from Terminal A.

burden
If you describe a problem or a responsibility as a burden, you mean that it causes someone a lot of difficulty, worry, or hard work.
    The developing countries bear the burden of an enormous external debt.
    They don't go around with the burdens of the world on their shoulders the whole time.
    Her death will be an impossible burden on Paul.
    The financial burden will be more evenly shared.
= pressure, strain
A burden is a heavy load that is difficult to carry. (FORMAL)
If someone burdens you with something that is likely to worry you, for example a problem or a difficult decision, they tell you about it.
    We decided not to burden him with the news.
= worry
The burden of proof is the task of proving that you are correct, for example when you have accused someone of a crime.
    The burden of proof is on the prosecution.

His working burden is too heavy, which makes him have to surrender.

allocate
If one item or share of something is allocated to a particular person or for a particular purpose, it is given to that person or used for that purpose.
    Tickets are limited and will be allocated to those who apply first.
    The 1985 federal budget allocated $7.3 billion for development programmes.
    Our plan is to allocate one member of staff to handle appointments.
= assign

Allocate one piece of cake to each person.

deceitful
If you say that someone is deceitful, you mean that they behave in a dishonest way by making other people believe something that is not true.
    They claimed the government had been deceitful.
    The ambassador called the report deceitful and misleading.

The two-faced politician's behaviour is very deceitful.

cunning
Someone who is cunning has the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people.
    These disturbed kids can be cunning.
    ...Mr Blair's cunning plan.
= crafty
．cunningly
    They were cunningly disguised in golf clothes.
Cunning is the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people.
    ...one more example of the cunning of today's art thieves...
    He tackled the job with a great deal of imagination, skill and cunning.

This animal is so cunning! He even knows how to unlock his cage.

innocent
If someone is innocent, they did not commit a crime which they have been accused of.
    He was sure that the man was innocent of any crime.
    The police knew from day one that I was innocent.
≠ guilty
If someone is innocent, they have no experience or knowledge of the more complex or unpleasant aspects of life.
    They seemed so young and innocent.
    He's curiously innocent about what this means to other people.
= naive
+innocent innocents
An innocent is someone who is innocent.
    She had always regarded Ian as a hopeless innocent where women were concerned.
．innocently
    The baby gurgled innocently on the bed.
Innocent people are those who are not involved in a crime or conflict, but are injured or killed as a result of it.
    All those wounded were innocent victims.
    The war was killing innocent women and children.
An innocent question, remark, or comment is not intended to offend or upset people, even if it does so.
    It was probably an innocent question, but Michael got flustered, anyway.
= harmless

The new born baby looks innocent when he smiles.

duke
A duke is a man with a very high social rank.
    ...the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Duke of Cambridge and his wife are applauding happily.

demand
If you demand something such as information or action, you ask for it in a very forceful way.
    Mr Byers last night demanded an immediate explanation from the Education Secretary.
    Russia demanded that Unita send a delegation to the peace talks.
    The hijackers are demanding to speak to representatives of both governments.
    `What did you expect me to do about it?' she demanded.
If one thing demands another, the first needs the second in order to happen or be dealt with successfully.
    He said the task of reconstruction would demand much patience, hard work and sacrifice.
    There would be fewer international crises demanding his attention.
    But he could also turn on the style when the occasion demanded.
= require
A demand is a firm request for something.
    There have been demands for services from tenants up there.
    They consistently rejected the demand to remove US troops.
    He grew ever more fierce in his demands.
If you refer to demand, or to the demand for something, you are referring to how many people want to have it, do it, or buy it.
    Another flight would be arranged on Saturday if sufficient demand arose.
    Demand for coal is down and so are prices.
    The demand to see her work is much greater than expected.
    Because of the slump in domestic demand, production has stopped.
= call ≠ supply
The demands of something or its demands on you are the things which it needs or the things which you have to do for it.
    Researchers wrongly assumed that people were quite clear about the demands of the task.
    ...the demands and challenges of a new job...
    There were too many other demands on his loyalty now.
= requirements
If someone or something is in demand or in great demand, they are very popular and a lot of people want them.
    He was much in demand as a lecturer in the US, as well as at universities all over Europe.
= sought after
If someone or something makes demands on you, they require you to do things which need a lot of time, energy, or money.
    I had no right to make demands on his time.
If something is available or happens on demand, you can have it or it happens whenever you want it or ask for it.
    ...a national commitment to providing treatment on demand for drug abusers.

He has always demanded some unreasonable requests from his children.

respectful
If you are respectful, you show respect for someone.
    He was always so polite and respectful.
    The children in our family are always respectful to their elders.
    The patient has the right to considerate and respectful care.
．respectfully
    `You are an artist,' she said respectfully.

He behaves in a respectful way.

corrupt
Someone who is corrupt behaves in a way that is morally wrong, especially by doing dishonest or illegal things in return for money or power.
    ...to save the nation from corrupt politicians of both parties.
    ...corrupt police officers...
    He had accused three opposition members of corrupt practices.
≠ fair, honest, just
．corruptly
    ...several government officials charged with acting corruptly.
If someone is corrupted by something, it causes them to become dishonest and unjust and unable to be trusted.
    It is sad to see a man so corrupted by the desire for money and power.
To corrupt someone means to cause them to stop caring about moral standards.
    ...warning that television will corrupt us all...
    Cruelty depraves and corrupts.
If something is corrupted, it becomes damaged or spoiled in some way.
    Some of the finer type-faces are corrupted by cheap, popular computer printers.
    They can ensure that traditional cuisines are not totally corrupted by commercial practices.
    ...corrupted data.

The corrupt behavior of the rat is simply despicable.

sacrifice
To sacrifice an animal or person means to kill them in a special religious ceremony as an offering to a god.
    The priest sacrificed a chicken.
    Two white bulls were sacrificed and a feast was held.
+sacrifice sacrifices
Also a noun.
    ...animal sacrifices to the gods.
If you sacrifice something that is valuable or important, you give it up, usually to obtain something else for yourself or for other people.
    She sacrificed family life to her career.
    Her husband's pride was a small thing to sacrifice for their children's security.
    Kitty Aldridge has sacrificed all for her first film.
    He sacrificed himself and so saved his country.
= give up
+sacrifice sacrifices
Also a noun.
    She made many sacrifices to get Anita a good education.
    He was willing to make any sacrifice for peace.
    See also self-sacrifice.

The kiwi sacrificed his life to protect his family and friends.

racial
Racial describes things relating to people's race.
    ...the protection of national and racial minorities.
    ...the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunity between people of different racial groups.
．racially
    We are both children of racially mixed marriages.
    There are no indications that the killings were racially motivated.

Racial origin has nothing to do with making friends.

almighty
The Almighty is another name for God. You can also refer to Almighty God.
    Adam sought guidance from the Almighty.
    Let us now confess our sins to Almighty God.
People sometimes say God Almighty or Christ Almighty to express their surprise, anger, or horror. These expressions could cause offence.
Almighty means very serious or great in extent. (INFORMAL)
    I had the most almighty row with the waitress.
    I heard an almighty bang.

Ancient Greeks thought of Zeus as an almighty being.

discrimination
Discrimination is the practice of treating one person or group of people less fairly or less well than other people or groups.
    She is exempt from sex discrimination laws.
    ...discrimination against immigrants.
    ...measures to counteract racial discrimination.
Discrimination is knowing what is good or of high quality.
    They cooked without skill and ate without discrimination.
= taste
Discrimination is the ability to recognize and understand the differences between two things.
    We will then have an objective measure of how colour discrimination and visual acuity develop at the level of the brain.
    ...the system that allows a mother to make the discrimination between her own and alien lambs.

He shows discrimination between the poor and rich.

commit
If someone commits a crime or a sin, they do something illegal or bad.
    I have never committed any crime.
    This is a man who has committed murder.
    ...the temptation to commit adultery.
If someone commits suicide, they deliberately kill themselves.
    There are unconfirmed reports he tried to commit suicide.
If you commit money or resources to something, you decide to use them for a particular purpose.
    They called on Western nations to commit more money to the poorest nations.
    The government had committed billions of pounds for a programme to reduce acid rain.
    He should not commit American troops without the full consent of Congress.
If you commit yourself to something, you say that you will definitely do it. If you commit yourself to someone, you decide that you want to have a long-term relationship with them.
    I would advise people to think very carefully about committing themselves to working Sundays.
    I'd like a friendship that might lead to something deeper, but I wouldn't want to commit myself too soon.
    You don't have to commit to anything over the phone.
．committed
    He said the government remained committed to peace.
    ...a committed socialist.
If you do not want to commit yourself on something, you do not want to say what you really think about it or what you are going to do.
    It isn't their diplomatic style to commit themselves on such a delicate issue.
    She didn't want to commit herself one way or the other.
If someone is committed to a hospital, prison, or other institution, they are officially sent there for a period of time.
    Arthur's drinking caused him to be committed to a psychiatric hospital.
= admit
In the British legal system, if someone is committed for trial, they are sent by magistrates to stand trial in a crown court.
    He is expected to be committed for trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
If you commit something to paper or to writing, you record it by writing it down. If you commit something to memory, you learn it so that you will remember it.
    She had not committed anything to paper about it.
    I'll repeat that so you can commit it to memory.

The woman committed suicide by eating lots of sleeping pills.

boycott
If a country, group, or person boycotts a country, organization, or activity, they refuse to be involved with it in any way because they disapprove of it.
    The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections.
+boycott boycotts
Also a noun.
    Opposition leaders had called for a boycott of the vote.
    ...the lifting of the economic boycott against Israel.

The office workers are putting up a boycott.

oasis
An oasis is a small area in a desert where water and plants are found.
You can refer to a pleasant place or situation as an oasis when it is surrounded by unpleasant ones.
    The immaculately tended gardens are an oasis in the midst of Cairo's urban sprawl.
= haven

It is the only oasis in this desert.

negotiate
If people negotiate with each other or negotiate an agreement, they talk about a problem or a situation such as a business arrangement in order to solve the problem or complete the arrangement.
    It is not clear whether the president is willing to negotiate with the democrats.
    When you have two adversaries negotiating, you need to be on neutral territory.
    The local government and the army negotiated a truce.
    Western governments have this week urged him to negotiate and avoid force.
    The South African president has negotiated an end to white-minority rule.
    His publishing house had just begun negotiating for her next books.
    There were reports that three companies were negotiating to market the drug.
If you negotiate an area of land, a place, or an obstacle, you successfully travel across it or around it.
    Frank Mariano negotiates the desert terrain in his battered pickup.
    I negotiated the corner on my motorbike and pulled to a stop.
    I negotiated my way out of the airport and joined the flow of cars.
= navigate

We haven't made the deal yet, since we're still negotiating.

punctual
If you are punctual, you do something or arrive somewhere at the right time and are not late.
    He's always very punctual. I'll see if he's here yet.
．punctually
    My guest arrived punctually.
．punctuality
    I'll have to have a word with them about punctuality.

Why are you late to the meeting? You should be more punctual.

creed
A creed is a set of beliefs, principles, or opinions that strongly influence the way people live or work. (FORMAL)
    ...their devotion to their creed of self-help.
= credo
A creed is a religion. (FORMAL)
    The centre is open to all, no matter what race or creed.
= religion

One basic creed in the teachings of Buddhism is: "All creatures are equal."

saluting   敬礼

pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person who is walking, especially in a town or city, rather than travelling in a vehicle.
    Ingrid was a walker, even in Los Angeles, where a pedestrian is a rare spectacle.
    More than a third of all pedestrian injuries are to children.
If you describe something as pedestrian, you mean that it is ordinary and not at all interesting.
    His style is so pedestrian that the book becomes a real bore.
    I drove home contemplating my own more pedestrian lifestyle.
= dull

Pedestrians crossing the road must look both ways.

collision
A collision occurs when a moving object crashes into something.
    They were on their way to the Shropshire Union Canal when their van was involved in a collision with a car.
    I saw a head-on collision between two aeroplanes.
= crash
A collision of cultures or ideas occurs when two very different cultures or people meet and conflict.
    It's the collision of disparate ideas that alters one's perspective.
    The play represents the collision of three generations.
= clash

A black car is in collision with a red car.

philosophy
Philosophy is the study or creation of theories about basic things such as the nature of existence, knowledge, and thought, or about how people should live.
    He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.
    ...a very detailed discussion of traditional Chinese philosophy.
A philosophy is a particular set of ideas that a philosopher has.
    ...the philosophies of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.
    ...a whole spectrum of political philosophies.
= ideology
A philosophy is a particular theory that someone has about how to live or how to deal with a particular situation.
    The best philosophy is to change your food habits to a low-sugar, high-fibre diet.
    When I interviewed Shakira I felt in tune with her philosophy of life.
    Annie's work reflects her philosophy that life is full of mysteries.

I often think about the meaning of life and other questions of philosophy.

quote
If you quote someone as saying something, you repeat what they have written or said.
    He quoted Mr Polay as saying that peace negotiations were already underway.
    She was quoted in the Express by an unnamed source as saying: `I won't bail out those two silly girls.'.
    She quoted a great line from a book by Romain Gary.
    Yesterday the Belgian newspaper Le Soir quoted a professor who said he witnessed the killings.
    I gave the letter to our local press and they quoted from it.
A quote from a book, poem, play, or speech is a passage or phrase from it.
    The paper starts its editorial comment with a quote from an unnamed member of the Cabinet.
= quotation
If you quote something such as a law or a fact, you state it because it supports what you are saying.
    Mr Meacher quoted statistics saying that the standard of living of the poorest people had fallen.
If someone quotes a price for doing something, they say how much money they would charge you for a service they are offering or a for a job that you want them to do.
    A travel agent quoted her s160 for a flight from Bristol to Palma.
    He quoted a price for the repairs.
A quote for a piece of work is the price that someone says they will charge you to do the work.
    Never agree to even the smallest extra job without getting a quote first.
= quotation
If a company's shares, a substance, or a currency is quoted at a particular price, that is its current market price.
    In early trading in Hong Kong yesterday, gold was quoted at $368.20 an ounce.
    Heron is a private company and is not quoted on the Stock Market.
Quotes are the same as quotation marks. (INFORMAL)
    The word `remembered' is in quotes.
You can say `quote' to show that you are about to quote someone's words. (SPOKEN)
    William Schneider predicts the Democrats will have, quote, `an awful lot of explaining to do.'

I quoted Albert Einstein in my essay about world peace.

fundamental
You use fundamental to describe things, activities, and principles that are very important or essential. They affect the basic nature of other things or are the most important element upon which other things depend.
    Our constitution embodies all the fundamental principles of democracy.
    A fundamental human right is being withheld from these people.
    Technical skill is a fundamental basis for most, if not all, great art.
= basic
You use fundamental to describe something which exists at a deep and basic level, and is therefore likely to continue.
    But on this question, the two leaders have very fundamental differences.
    Amnesty says there are fundamental flaws in their military justice system.
= profound
If one thing is fundamental to another, it is absolutely necessary to it, and the second thing cannot exist, succeed, or be imagined without it.
    He believes better relations with China are fundamental to the well-being of the area.
    The method they pioneered remains fundamental to research into the behaviour of nerve cells.
= vital
You can use fundamental to show that you are referring to what you consider to be the most important aspect of a situation, and that you are not concerned with less important details.
    The fundamental problem lies in their inability to distinguish between reality and invention.
    It was not simply a practical matter, but a fundamental question of principle.
= basic
Fundamental research into a subject is concerned with gaining knowledge about the subject itself, rather than its practical aspects.
    Industry leaders want scientists to engage in fundamental research, not applied research.

In modern society, Wi-Fi is the most fundamental need.

psychological
Psychological means concerned with a person's mind and thoughts.
    John received constant physical and psychological abuse from his father.
    Robyn's loss of memory is a psychological problem, rather than a physical one.
= mental
．psychologically
    It was very important psychologically for us to succeed.
    ...a psychologically disturbed person.
Psychological also means relating to psychology.
    ...psychological testing.

Intense pressure results in psychological problems of the poor man.