to keep away from other people, for example by going to a quiet room or staying at home, especially for long periods: I often had to shut myself away until two or three in the morning in[r]
Trang 1start working effectively together: I ask our
fans to be patient until the team shakes down.
4 Ishake down I
BrE old-foshionedto sleep on the floor, on a seat
etc because there is no proper bed for you: If
you miss the last bus, you can always shake
down on the floor here.
*SIMILAR TO: kip down BrE informal
shakedown N [SINGULAR]
BrE a place prepared for you on a floor,
seat etc where you can sleep: There
weren't any beds lefl so [ had to be content
with a shakedown in the corridor. I [ can't
drift off to dreamland on a shakedown
settee.
shake oH
Ishake off~ Ishake ~
to get rid of an illness or something that is
causing you problems or having a bad effect
on you: I've had this flu for weeks - [just can't
seem to shake it off. IMelanie Griffith never
manages to completely shake off the dumb
blonde image, perhaps because of her squeaky
little girl voice. IIt was 1949, and Europe was
still shaking off the horror of World War If
shake on
Ishakeon~
to agree on a decision or business agreement
by shaking hands (=holding someone's hand
and moving it up and down): "That's a deal,"
I said, and we shook on it. I Can the two
leaders shake on a deal that will bring peace
to the Middle East?
let's shake on it Carter stood up "Let's
shake on it." He held out his hand.
I shake out ~ I shake ~ out I
Ishakels~
to shake a cloth, bag, sheet etc, in order to
make it smooth or to get rid of small pieces
of dust or dirt: She put the tray on Nicandra 's
knees and shook out a white napkin. II went
outside and shook the insects out of my
sleeping bag.
shake out of
Ishakels~
to force someone to change their mood, so
that they stop feeling sad, upset, or lazy, and
realize there are things they must deal with:
Her best friend had moved away, and there
was no one to help shake Lena out of her
depression. IShe tried to shake herself out of
it, but as soon as she calmed down she began
crying again. I "William!" The teacher's
angry voice shook him out of his reverie. IIf
the bombing of a hospital cannot shake this government out of its complacency, what will?
1 Ishake [!b]upI Ishake upI sb I
to give someone a very unpleasant shock, sothat they feel very upset and frightened:
Seeing that accident really shook me up. I
When we heard the news were too shaken up and surprised to react immediately.
2 Ishake up ~ Ishake IsthIupI
to make big changes to a company or zation over a short period of time, in order to
organi-make it more effective: A new director was brought in last year to shake things up.IWhen Albano was sworn in as mayor two weeks ago,
he vowed to shake up the police department.
shake-up N[e]
when big changes are made to a company
or organization over a short period of
time, in order to make it more effective: a financial crisis that led to a major manage- ment shake-up I a huge shake-up of the education system
Broad evidence indicates that the California economy is shaping up.
2 Ishapeupl
if a situation, activity, or struggle shapes up,
it develops: Events were shaping up worse and faster than I could have expected - I was
in danger of losing control of the situation. IA titanic battle is shaping up on the Internet between two computer heavyweights. I Well, Sue, less than a week to go before the show! How's it all shaping up?
3 Ishapeupl
to make yourself healthy and physicallystrong so that your body looks good, by
exercising or eating particular foods: Here are
12 easy exercises to help you shape up for the summer.
*SIMILAR TO: tone upSHARE
shared, shared, sharing
Ishare outl~ Ishare ~ out I
BrE to divide something into smaller
Trang 2person in a group: Take these cookies and
share them out.
+ between We've got three pizzas to share
out between five people.
+ amonglamongst The business is
obvi-ously very profitable, but the profits are not
fairly shared out among those who are
helping to generate them.
*SIMILAR TO:divide up, divvy up informal
share-out N[cl
when something is shared out between
people: the unequal share-out of education
cash in South Africa under apartheid
SHARPEN
sharpened, sharpened, sharpening
1 Isharpen upI~ Isharpen I~
to improve something so that it reaches the
necessary standard or quality: We need a few
more rehearsals to sharpen up the dance
routine.
2 I sharpen up I
to become more skilled and effective and
more determined to succeed: Dobson has
sharpened up by training with Olympic
sprinter David Grindley.
3 Isharpen up ~ I-sh-a-r-pe-n-~
if you sharpen up a picture or photograph,
you make it clearer so that all the details can
be seen: By using digital technology we can
sharpen up the picture on your television
screen.
SHAVE
shaved, shaved, shaving
shave oH
~" Ishave off ~ Ishave IsthI ~
to remove hair from your skin completely by
shaving
shave off your hair/beardlmoustache As
soon as Dan got his first job, he shaved off
his beard and bought a suit and tie. I
Sigourney Weaver shaved off all her hair to
star in the film Aliens JIJ.
to reduce something by a small amount by
making a special effort to do this: By
shop-ping extremely carefully, 1found 1 was able to
shave about 10% off my weekly bill. ICarey
needed to shave two seconds off his best time
to have a chance of qualifying for the
Olympics.
3 Ishave offIst~ Ishave ~
to remove very thin pieces from the surface
of something, using a knife or other cutting
tool: Use a knife to shave off very fine rolls of chocolate and scatter them over the cake.
SHEAR
Ibe shorn ofIsth I
formal if a person or thing is shorn of thing that they used to have, for examplepower or a special quality, it has been taken
some-away from them: The king, shorn of more and more of his powers, had very little idea of what was happening.
Ishear offI Ishear off ~ Ishear I sth ~
if a part of something made of metal shearsoff, it breaks away from the rest of it,especially because it has become weak or
old: The left wing of the aeroplane had almost completely sheared off when it hit the ground.
SHELL
shelled, shelled, shelling
Ishell out I Ishell out [~
informal to payor give money for something,especially when you do not want to, or whenyou think it is too expensive
+for We don't want to have to shell out for
a Christmas disco again this year - it costs
a fortune!
+ onKids these days shell out £30 or £40
on a computer game without even thinking about it.
*SIMILARTO:fork out informal, cough up informal
SHIFT
shifted, shifted, shifting
shift for
Ishift for yourselfl
old-fashioned to look after yourself withoutany help from other people, especially bymaking your own meals: In some families when the mother went to work, children as young as seven or eight were left to shift for themselves.
*SIMILAR TO:fend for yourself
Trang 3SHIN arESHINNY AmE
shinned, shinned, shinningerE
shinnied, shinnied, shinnying AmE
to quickly climb down something such as a
tree or pole by wrapping your arms and legs
around it: The thiefmust have climbed out of
a back window and shinnied down the
drain-pipe.
*SIMJIAR TO: climb (down)
to quickly climb up something such as a tree
or a pole, especially by using your hands and
legs to pull and push yourself up: It was
incredible to see the local people shinning up
palm trees with no efJort at all.
*SIMILAR TO: climb (up)
SHINE
shone, shone, shining
if a light shines out, it shines very brightly,
especially from a distance: Just at that
moment the clouds parted and the sun shone
out. IThe sitting room door was open and a
light was shining out across the stairs.
SrE to be much better at something than
others in a very noticeable way: The overseas
division shone out as the group s star
performer last year.
+ from Afew of the children shone outfrom
all the others.
*SIMILAR TO: stand out
if a good quality that someone has shines
through, it is easy to notice it: Kindness and
humour shone through his letters. I Garys
chess talents shone through at an early age,
and he won the World Junior Championship.
SHINNY
SEEshin BrE shinny AmE
SHIP
shipped, shipped, shipping
1 I ship I sthEI I ship in I~ USUALLY PASSIVE
to bring goods or materials to a place in aship or plane, especially in large quantities:
Many consumer goods such as video tapes and electric shavers are shipped in from abroad.
*SIMILAR TO: bring in
to bring people to a place in order to workthere, for example from another countrybecause there are not enough people avail-able in the place already: Because of the shortage of staff in our schools, teachers had
to be shipped in from Europe.
*SIMll.AR TO: bring in
1 I ship I sb/sth I~ I ship off I sb/sth I
informal to send or take people somewhere,especially without asking them if they want
to go: I was shipped ofJ to school in England
at the age of seven, leaving my family behind
in Sierra Leone.
*SIMll.AR TO: send away, pack off
to send people or goods to a place in a ship:
In 1850 the slaves were sold in Havana, and shipped ofJto work in sugar plantations.
Ship out
1I ship I sth/sb ~ I ship out ~
to send goods or people somewhere in aship or plane, especially in large quantities:
Food and clothing will be shipped out to the disaster area within the next few days.
sho~snot,shooting
to make an enemy plane and the people in itcrash to the ground, by firing bullets orweapons at it: American war planes shot down an Iraqi jet inside the no-fly zone. IIn
1983 a Korean airliner was shot down over the Soviet Union ajier straying near a top secret submarine base.
*
Trang 4shootdown N[cUSUALLY SINGULAR]
especially AmE when an enemy plane is
made to crash to the ground, by firing
bullets or weapons at it: There will be
an international investigation into last
weekend's shootdown of the two planes.
2 Ishoot down [ill Ishoot Is~
to kill or seriously injure someone by
shoot-ing them, especially people who cannot
defend themselves: The army were accused of
shooting down unarmed demonstrators.
*SIMILAR TO:gun down, shoot
3 ~sth/sbldownl I-sh-o-o-t-do-w-n-,s-th-/sb-I
informal to say or show that someone's ideas
or opinions are wrong or stupid: America
Online shot down rumours of a merger
between the two companies.
shoot sth/sb down in flames (=completely
destroy someone's ideas by showing
that they are wrong or stupid) The article
was shot down in flames by government
scientists.
Ishoot forI~
AmE to try to achieve a particular aim or goal:
Coach Bruce Corbett said he is shooting for a
winning record this season.
*SIMILAR TO:aim (for), try for
1 Ishoot offI
informal, especially BrE to leave somewhere very
quickly or suddenly: Every time I see him, he
looks at his watch and shoots off to a
meet-ing.IJane got on the horse, which immediately
shot off at great speed across the field.
*SIMILAR TO:speed off, dash off informal, rush off
2 Ibe shot offI
if a part of someone's leg, head etc is shot off,
it is completely destroyed by a bullet: One
woman had survived the massacre, although
her arm had been shot off.
shoot out
Ishoot it out!
informal to fight against someone with guns,
especially until one person or group is killed
or defeated by the other
+ with The terrorists were trapped in the
house, and were forced to shoot it out with
the police before being overpowered.
shoot-out N[cl
a fight between two people or groups who
shoot at each other with guns until one of
them wins: At least two people at the prison
were killed in a shoot-out with security
forces.
be shot through with
Ibe shot through with ~
if a piece of writing or music is shot throughwith a particular feeling or quality, it contains
a lot of it: The stories are short, and shot through with Hurley's dry gentle humour.
*SIMILAR TO:be filled with
[shoot upl
to increase very quickly and suddenly: Some experts think that house prices will shoot up again this year.
+ to Odette's weight shot up to fourteen stone after her children were born.
*SIMILAR TO:rocket up
2 !shoot up!
if a child shoots up, he or she grows taller
very quickly and suddenly: I can't believe this
is Christopher - he's shot up since I last saw him!
3 Ishoot ~ Ishoot upIsthI
to damage a building or injure a person, byshooting them with bullets: There's nothing for the refugees to return to; their homes have gone, shot up and blown apart. IOn June 17th Chapman was badly shot up, wounded in the head.
+ for Prices for sporting equipment vary enormously, and it's worth shopping around for the best buy.
SHORE
shored, shored, shoring
1 !shore upl~ lshore~
Trang 5to fail, by doing something that will help to
make it stronger: The administration is
con-sidering tax relief to help shore up the US
air-line industry. I Throughout the day the bank
sold both dollars and European currency, in
an effort to shore up the pound.
2 Ishore ~ Ishore up ~
to support a wall or a building with large
pieces of wood or metal, in order to stop it
from falling down: The tunnel was in danger
of collapsing at any minute, and was shored
up with old wooden beams.
*SIMIlAR TO: prop up
SHOUT
shouted, shouted, shouting
-1shout 1 s~ Ishout down I~ »
to shout loudly while someone is talking
because you want to prevent them from
being heard: Several students stood up to
protest, but they were quickly shouted down. I
Opposition MPs tried to shout him down, but
he carried on with his speech.
shout out
Ishout out I sth I 1shout §lout 1
Ishout outl
to suddenly shout something or say
some-thing in a loud voice: Someone in the
audi-ence shouted out "Get on with it!" IMaria
could hear people screaming and laughing
and shouting out her name.
*SIMIlAR TO: call out, yell out
SHOVE
shoved, shoved, shoving
informal to tell someone what to do in a rude
or unpleasant way, without considering
what they want: I left myoid job because I
was fed up with being shoved around.
*SIMILAR TO: push around, boss around
1 Ishove off!I
spoken informal used to rudely tell someone to
go away, especially when you are annoyed
with them or they are disturbing you: Shove
off, Gerry I don't want you here.
*SIMILAR TO: push off!BrEspoken informal,
buzz offspoken informal,clear off spoken informal,
2 1shove offl
informal to leave somewhere: Apparently the entire team had shoved off for a fortnights holiday in Bermuda.
*SIMll.AR TO: leaveshove up
Ishove up!I
spoken informal used to tell someone to move
a little in order to make space for someone
else: If you shove up a bit, we can all get in the back seat.
*SIMILAR TO: move up, budge upBrEinformal
to know: In the morning the Professor showed
us around the university. IA representative had arranged to meet us at the house that afternoon and show us round.
*SIMILAR TO: show over BrE,take around
show in/into'show ~ Ishow ~ into ~
to lead someone who is visiting into a room or
a building, especially in order for them to meet
someone there: I waited on the steps for about five minutes before somebody finally opened the door and showed me in. IA secretary showed Alison into a large office.
*SIMILAR TO: see in/into
• OPPOSITE: show out
show oH
[show off [
to try to make other people admire you, bybehaving in a way that you think makes youseem intelligent, skilful, or rich, but in fact isjust annoying or silly: 1 can't stand the way she shows off in front of the other students.
+ to Apparently Nick had been driving much too fast - showing off to the other guys in the car.
show-off N[cl
informal a person who tries to make other
people admire them, by behaving in a waythat they think makes them seem clever,skilful, or rich, but in fact is just annoying
or silly: Leman was the youngest of ten children - a show-off and a class clown.
Trang 6~\'Ishow offI sth/sb I Ishow I sth/sb ~
to show something or someone that you
are very proud of to a group of people: She
wanted to show off her new outfit at the party.
+ to Chrissfriends had never met his
girl-friend, and he was looking forward to
showing her off to them.
3 Ishow off ~ Ishow l~ NOT PASSIVE
if one thing shows off something else, it
emphasizes its good qualities and makes it
seem even more attractive: Her jeans were
tight-fitting, showing offher tall slim figure.
*SIMILAR TO: set off
show out
Ishow ~ outI Ishow out ~
to go with someone to the door when they
are leaving a room or a building, especially
after they have been visiting or meeting
another person
+ of Mr Burrows ended the meeting by
asking his secretary to show me out of the
office.
*SIMILAR TO: see out
• OPPOSITE: show in
Ishow 1;bJover ~ Ishow I sb ~
BrE to go around a place with someone who
comes to visit it, in order to show them what
is interesting or what they need to know:
Lou seemed to enjoy her company, showing
her over the nearby castle and taking her for
long drives. IIf you're interested in the garden
I can show you over some time.
*SIMILAR TO: show around
show through
'show through I [show through ~
if a quality or feeling that someone has
shows through, it is noticeable: The senator
replied politely, but his irritation showed
through. IRobinson stalent showed through
last season when he averaged 27.6 points.
'1~ Ishow up [
informal to arrive, especially at a place where
people are expecting you: We spent half an
hour waiting for Martin to show up. IMacari
failed to show up jar the match.
*SIMILAR TO: turn up, pitch up BrE informal
BrE if a problem or fault shows up, it is easy
to see or notice: In the sunlight, the decayed state of the house showed up clearly. IWe were told that the bone was definitely broken - it had shown up on the X-ray.
BrEto make a problem or fault easy to see ornotice: These results have shown up serious faults in our examination system. IRichards is
to have further tests on his injured shoulder, which should show up the extent of the damage.
*SIMILAR TO: reveal
4 Ishowup~ IShowlsb@
informal to make someone feel embarrassed orashamed, because of something that you do
or say: You can always rely on your children
to show you up in public!
*SIMILAR TO: embarrass
5 Ishow I sb/sth'~ [show up'sb/sth [
USUALLY PASSIVE
to show that someone or something is bad,unpleasant etc, especially when it was notclear before
+ as By now the administration had lost control, had been shown up as useless.
be shown up for what it is (=be shown to
be something bad, unpleasant etc) The idea was soon shown up for what it was - a waste of time and money.
SHOWER
showered, showered, showering
• Shower upon is more formal than shower
onand is mostly used in writing
show-*SIMILAR TO: lavish on/upon
to give a lot of money or gifts to someone in
a very generous way: At Christmas everyone longs to shower gifts on their family and friends - but where is the money to come from?
1 [shower ~ withI~
to give someone a lot of something,
Trang 7espe-them how pleased, grateful etc you are: The
players will be showered with gifts, like cars
and luxury apartments, ifthey beat England
for the first time. I The critics showered the
film with praise when it first came out.
2 Ishower [sb Iwith I~
to throw a lot of something over someone:
The crowds cheered in the streets and
show-ered her with flowers and petals. IAt that
moment the bomb exploded, showering people
with glass and debris.
SHRINK
shrank, shrunk, shrinking
shrink away
1 Ishrink awayI
to move back and away from someone or
something, especially because you are
fright-ened or you do not want them to touch you
+ from "You're disgusting," Nell said to him,
shrinking away from him and shivering.
*SIMILAR TO: shrink back, shrink from
2 Ishrink awayI
to try to avoid doing or being involved in
something that is unpleasant
+from Verity was a shy, nervous girl, who
always shrank away from unpleasantness of
any sort.
shrink away from doing sth Most of the
workers shrank away from saying anything
that might annoy their boss.
*SIMILAR TO: shy away from
Ishrink backI
to move back and away from something or
someone, especially because you are
fright-ened or you do not want them to touch you
+ against "Well?" the teacher asked in a
voice that made all four of her students
shrink back against the wall.
+ into As the men neared her hiding place,
Tilly shrank back into the shadows.
shrink from
1 Ishrink from I st8OFTEN NEGATIVE
to feel very unwilling to do something, or to
deliberately avoid doing something,
espe-cially because it is unpleasant or difficult: The
former Prime Minister never shrank from her
duties as leader, even when she was faced with
tough opposition. IThese were men who would
not shrink from violence.
shrink from doing sth He did not shrink
form doing what he thought was right.
*SIMILAR TO: shy away from
2 Ishrink from ~
to move back and away from someone orsomething, especially because you are fright-ened or you do not want them to touch you:
Maureen felt herself shrinking from him, preparing to runifshe had to.
*SIMILAR TO: shrink away,-shrink back
The few unpicked apples on the top branches had shriveled up and gone brown. I Granny Tring lived in the house next to ours She was old and shrivelled up, like a walnut.
2 Ishrivel upI
to feel extremely embarrassed or frightened
by something: He was one of those men who shrivel up at the thought of their wives going out to work. I You'll never guess what my mother said in front of everyone - I just shriveled up inside!
diffi-2 Ibe shrouded in mystery/secrecy etcI
to seem very strange and mysterious, or to bedeliberately kept secret: The origins of Osiris are still shrouded in mystery. IFor many years, the Rockwell incident has remained shrouded
in mystery. IThe talks between the British ernment and the terrorists were shrouded in secrecy.
gov-SHRUG
shrugged, shrugged, shrugging
Ishrug off ~ Ishrug ~thIo~
to not worry about something and treat it asunimportant: Polly tried to shrug off Geoff s remarks, but they had put her in a bad mood for the evening. IMany people with the illness fail to recognize the symptoms, or shrug them off as unimportant.
*
Trang 8shucked, shucked, shucking
1 I shuck off ~ I shuckI sth ~
AmE informal to take off a piece of clothing in
a quick and careless way: Michael shucked off
his coat and hat and went to his room.
2 Ishuckoff~ Ishucklsth Ioff!
AmE informol if you shuck off an idea or
feel-ing, you stop paying attention to it because
you do not care about it or do not want to
think about it: I tried to shuck offmy worries
and have a good time.
*SIMILAR TO: ignore, shrug off
SHUFFLE
shuffled, shuffled, shuffling
shuffle off
Ishuffle off~ Ishuffle ~
to try to avoid dealing with something,
espe-cially by giving the responsibility for it to
someone else
+ onto Everyone has a responsibility to
their family - you can't just shuffle it off
onto other people.
SHUT
shut, shut, shutting
1 Ishut I sb/sth Iaway I Ishut awayI~
to put someone or something in a special
place so that they are hidden and cannot
leave or be taken away: Should young people
of fifteen or sixteen be shut away in ordinary
jails when they commit a crime?
keep sb/sth shut away Gina was puzzled as
to why her father kept the diaries shut
away, and never mentioned them.
*SIMILAR TO: lock away, hide away
2 Ishut yourself away I
to keep away from other people, for example
by going to a quiet room or staying at home,
especially for long periods: I often had to shut
myself away until two or three in the morning
in order to get the work done. IYou've got to
talk to someone about it - you can't just shut
yourself away in your room all day.
*SIMILAR TO:hide away
*SIMILAR TO:close down shutdown N[cl
when a business, factory, shop etc closesfor a long time or permanently: The power station has just re-opened following a prolonged shutdown for maintenance.
Ishut downI
if you shut down a machine, you turn it off
to stop it working: A report confirmed that the crash happened when the pilot acciden- tally shut down the wrong engine. I The correct way to shut the computer down is to type 'Exit' and then switch off.
if a machine shuts down, it turns off andstops working: The loss of power caused every computer in the building to shut down. I
There was further trouble for the astronauts when one of the cooling systems shut down suddenly during a space walk.
*SIMILAR TO:shut off, turn off shutdown N[cl
when a machine turns off or someoneturns it off so it stops working: The engine allows shutdown just 30 seconds after landing.
4 Ishut down Isb I Ishut I sb Idown I
AmE informal to prevent an opposing player or
team from playing well or getting points in a
game or sport: We all knew thatifwe wanted
to win we'd have to shut down Bobby Mitchell.
1 ~ sb/sthIinJ~ Ishut Isb/sth El ~
to prevent a person or an animal from leaving
a place, by closing and often locking the
door: It was not at all unusual to punish dren by shutting them in a room and leaving them there. IThe owners had gone away for the weekend, leaving two dogs and a cat shut
chil-in on their own.
*SIMILAR TO:lock in
2 Ishut yourself in (5th)I X
to go into a room and shut the door so that
no one else can get in: Mark shut himself in his bedroom, got out the cigarettes and prac- tised smoking one.I"Why have you shut your- self in, dear?" my mother asked, banging on the door.
*SIMILAR TO:lock in
Trang 93 Ibe shut inI '<,
to be in a very small space, especially so that
you feel that you cannot move or get out:
Working down the coal mines meant being
shut in without enough air or light for long
hours every day.
feel shut in (=feel that you cannot escape
from a situation or place that limits what
you can do) I felt shut in that village - it
was full of gossiping old men and women.
.1shut offI 5th I [shut 15th IoffI
if you shut off an engine, machine, power
supply etc you deliberately turn it off to stop
it working: As Victor drew up outside his
apartment, he shut off the engine and sat
there, thinking about the future. IWhen you're
the last one leaving the office, always shut off
the computers and lock the door. IAfter the
storms, the electricity was shut off for two
days.
*SIMILAR TO; switch off, turn off
shut-off mechanism/valve N[e]
a shut-off mechanism is able to stop the
flow of gas, liquid etc to a machine if
nec-essary, and so stop the machine working:
They criticized the lack of an automatic
shut-off mechanism in the cooling system.
2 Ishut offl
if an engine, machine or power supply shuts
off, it turns off and stops working: Experts
thought that the plane sengines may have shut
off automatically after the explosion.
*SIMILAR TO; switch off, turn off
3 Ishut yourself offj
to avoid meeting or talking to other people or
having normal friendly relationships with
them: After my husband died I realized that I
couldn't shut myself off for ever, so I started
attending evening classes and tried to get out
more.
+ from The way he spoke to me was cold
and remote, shutting himself off from me
completely.
shut yourself off from the worldlreality The
old lady had unplugged the telephone and
disconnected the doorbell, determinedly
shutting herself off from the world.
*SIMILAR TO; cut off
4 1shut I~ Ishut off ~ USUALLY PASSIVE
if a road, area etc is shut off, fences have been
put round it people are not allowed to go
there: Because of the explosion parts of the city
were shut off and traffic was being diverted.
*SIMILAR TO: block off
5 [shut off~ [shut[Sthlof!]
prevents you from seeing it by getting in the
way: A wall of mountains shuts off the view as you look south from Lamia. IA large van was
in the street outside, shutting off the daylight from the window.
*SIMILAR TO: block out
be shut· off from
to be completely separated from otherpeople or things, so that you do not com-municate with them and are not Influenced
by them: The country was still living in the Middle Ages, having been shut off from the outside world for centuries.
*SIMILAR TO: be cut off, be isolated (from)
-1 Ishut ISbJoutI Ishut out 151;]
especially BrE to prevent someone from joining
in an activity: Itsimportant that everyone is included in these decisions - at the moment some of the staff feel very shut out.
+ of I knew there was something exciting going on but I was shut out of it.
*SIMILAR TO: leave out
2 Ishut ~IoutI [shut out l~
to deliberately not tell someone about yourthoughts and feelings, and not allow them to
be involved in your life, especially in a way
that upsets them: How can I help you if you keep shutting me out all the time? IElla knew that Travis was shutting her out, that their relationship had changed and they could never go back.
3 Ishutoutl~ Ishutl~
to deliberately stop yourself from thinkingabout something that is unpleasant or upset-
ting: I tried to sleep in an attempt to shut out
my fears, but I couldn't.
shut sth out of your mind My mother must
have known what my father did, but she didn't ask any questions, she just shut it out
of her mind.
*SIMILAR TO: block out, blot out
4 Ishutout~ [shutls~
to prevent a sound, light etc from getting into
a place: Kellie put her hands over her ears to shut out his unpleasant remarks. IIt was cool
in the wood - the big green leaves shut out the sun.
*SIMILAR TO: block out
5 IshutI 58outI Ishut out [-sbJ
to prevent someone from entering a place,
especially by closing a door: I tried to see him several times, but he shut me out by slamming the door in my face.
Trang 106 Ishut out the world I
if someone shuts out the world, they
sepa-rate themselves from the rest of the world,
especially in order to be quiet and peaceful:
Martin leaned on his bedroom door, trying to
shut out the world. IWhen she's reading, she
seems to be able to shut out the rest of the
world.
7 Ishut out ~ Ishut 1"SbJ outI
AmE to defeat an opposing team or player by
preventing them from getting any points:
Colorado shut out Kansas City, 3-0, in the
first game of the playoffs.
-"'17I shut up!I
spoken informal used to tell someone rudely or
angrily to stop talking: "Shut up!" said Terry.
"I don't care what you think."
*SIMILAR TO: belt up! BrE spoken informal
2 Ishut upI Ishut[SI) IupJ Ishut upI sb I
informal to stop talking, or to make someone
stop talking: I can't stand that woman - she
never shuts up. I Once he starts talking, it's
difficult to shut him up.
3lshutlsblupllshutupl~
to keep a person or an animal somewhere
and prevent them from leaving: Simply
shutting more and more people up in prison
doesn't solve the problem of crime.
+ in The chickens have to be shut up in the
shed at night, because offoxes.
4 Ishut up shopI
BrE informal if a business shuts up shop, it
closes permanently: Another tour operator,
Impact Holidays, which specializes in Turkish
destinations, shut up shop yesterday.
*SIMILAR TO: close down
5 Ishut upI~ Ishut I sth IupI Ishut upI
to close and lock a house, shop, room etc that
you own, so that people cannot get into it or
use it: Mr Barnaby was just shutting up his
shop in East London, when a gang of four
armed men burst in.
*SIMILAR TO: close up
SHY
shied, shied, shying
-Ishy away from I~
to avoid doing something because you are
nervous about it or you do not feel confident
enough
+ from There are some members of the
party who criticize the leadership in
pri-vate, but shy away from a direct challenge.
shy away from doing sth Logan had said that
they would reach an agreement by April, but
he shied awayfrom setting afirm date.
*SIMILAR TO: shrink from
SIC
sicced, sicced, siccing
~sblsth~
AmE to tell someone or something to attack
or catch someone: Get offmy property or I'll sic my dog on you. IEqual rights organiza- tions will sic lawyers on you if they think you're discriminating against minorities.
*SIMILAR TO: set on
SICK
sicked, sicked, sicking
sick up
Isick upIs!E] IsickI sth IupI
BrE informal if you sick up something that youhave eaten or drunk, it comes back up fromyour stomach and out of your mouth - usedespecially about babies and young children:
A lot of babies tend to sick up some of their milk after being fed.
*SIMILAR TO: bring up BrE, vomit
already: Harry found that he usually sickened
of a girl's company after a few weeks. IAjier six months I was already sickening of political life.
*SIMILAR TO: tire of
Iside with IsbINOT PASSNE X
to support a person, country, or group in anargument or fight: Klein was shocked to find
Trang 11friends sided with her. IIn I977 the Soviet
Union sided with Ethiopia in the conflict.
SIDLE
sidled, sidled, sidling
Isidle upl
to walk towards someone or something
slowly and a little nervously, as if you do not
want anyone to notice what you are doing
+ to A woman with a baby in her arms
sidled up to us and asked us for some
money.
SIFT
sifted, sifted, sifting
Isift out I sth/sb I ~ft I sth/sblout I
to separate particular things or people from a
group of others, especially when this is
diffi-cult or takes a long time: There are quite a
number of interested buyers, but our first job
is to sift out the ones that are really serious.
+ from My job was bringing all the
information together and sifting out the
incorrect details from the rest.
*SIMILAR TO: weed out
sift through
Isift through Is~
to carefully examine a large number of things
in order to find something that you are
look-ing for: Fifty-four police officers are sifting
through thousands of pieces of information
provided by the public.
*SIMILAR TO: comb through
SIGN
signed, signed, signing
Isign awayI~ IsignI sth Iaway I
to give property or a legal right to someone
else, by signing an official document: Her
husband had tricked her into signing away her
rights to the property.
*SIMILAR TO: sign over
sign for
1 Isign forI~
to sign a document to show that you have
received a letter, package etc: I've got a
regis-tered letter for you Could you sign for it here
and print your name underneath?
2 1sign for Liverpool/Arsenal etcIBrE to sign a contract agreeing to play for a
particular football team: Gallagher s contract was worth about £400,000 when he signed for Leeds in the summer of I 990.
*SIMILAR TO: sign with
~!? Isigninl
to write your name in a book when youarrive somewhere that you are visiting, forexample a hotel or an office: For security reasons, the company requires all visitors to sign in at reception.
• orrosrrt:sign out
2 IsignI~ Isign inIs8
if you sign someone in at an office, club etcwhere they are a VISItor, you wnte theirname or your name in a book so that they areallowed to enter: Smiley met me on the steps
of his London club, signed me in and took me
to lunch.
sign a bill/legislation/
agreement etc into law
if someone in authority signs something intolaw, they make it part of the law, by signing
an official document: De Klerk signed five bills into law at a ceremony in Pretoria, including the legislation scrapping apartheid.
forty-1 Isign offI Isign offIsth]
to end an informal letter that you are writing,
by giving your final message: Well, I'll sign off now Many thanks again for having us to stay - Jean. ISometimes its difficult to know how to sign ojf a letter in another language.
2 Isign offl
informal to end a radio or television broadcast
or programme by saying goodbye: This is Emma Campbell jar Radio Gloucester, signing off.
BrE if a doctor signs someone off, he or shegives them a note for their employer saying
that they are ill and are not able to work: Mrs Mawdsley telephoned the office the following day to say that she had seen her doctor and had been signed offfor a month.
Trang 125 Isign offI
BrEto stop claiming the money given by the
government to people without employment,
because you have found a job: A lot of people
sign offin the summer months, when there are
seasonal jobs available.
• OPposm: sign on
6 Isign off15th I Isign@1i I o~
Isign off on ~
to show that you approve of a plan or that
something is ready by writing your name on
an official paper: She has to sign the book off
before it can go to the publishers.
sign off on sthAmEEngineers have signed
off on a permit to repair part of the
inter-state bridge.
1 I sign onI
to officially agree to work for someone or do
a training course, usually by signing a
con-tract or form
+withlas Faulk S career with the Vicksberg
newspaper began in 1935, when he signed
on with them as a reporter. II signed on as
a volunteer at the homeless shelter.
+for Some of the refugees managed to get
to university by attending evening classes
or signing on for correspondence courses.
*SIMILAR TO: sign up
:z Isign on ~ Isign[!b IonI
BrEto arrange for someone to sign a contract
or form saying that they agree to work for
you or play for your team: The club signed on
three new players in July. IThe Calvert Group
has signed on Cedd Moses as their new
general manager.
*SIMILAR TO: sign up
3 Isign onI Isign on I~
BrEto claim the money given by the
govern-ment to people without employment,
because you do not have a job: When we left
college there were so few teaching jobs
avail-able that a lot of us had to sign on.
sign on the dole (=c1aim money from the
government because you do not have a
job) Mr Kelly signed on the dole in July,
after his company, Kelly House
Develop-ment, went bust.
• orrosrrt:sign off
sign out
1 !sign outl
to write your name in a book when you
leave somewhere that you are visiting, for
example a hotel or an office: 1waited while
Dr Fraker collected his bags and signed out.
• orrosrrt:
:z IsignI5b lout I Isign out I~
if you sign someone out of an office, club etc,where they are a visitor, you write theirname or your name in a book to show that
they have left: You go ahead ifyou're in a hurry - I'll sign you out.
• opPOsm: sign in
3 Isign out 15th] Isign15th lout I
to write your name on a form or in a book toshow that you have taken or borrowedsomething: All equipment must be signed out before it can be removed from the office. II'm afraid I can't find that file and theres no record of its being signed out.
IsignIsth lover I Isign over I5t~
to give property or a legal right to someoneelse, by signing an official document
+ to When Julie and her husband split after
ten years of marriage, he signed over thing in the house to her. IThe land has been signed over to his son.
every-*SIMILAR TO: sign away
+ with Robert s doing really well - he s
signed up with Cambridge University Press
to write a book on Astronomy.
3 Isign~ Isign up~
to arrange for someone to sign a contractsaying that they agree to work for you or toplay for your team
+as An agency has now signed her up as a professional model. I Manchester United are very keen to sign him up.
*SIMILAR TO: sign on
1 Isign with 15!!iJ
to sign a contract agreeing to play for a ticular sports team: DeJuan Wheat signed with the Timberwolves after leaving the Lakers.
par-:z Isign withI
Trang 13if musicians sign with a company, they sign a
contract allowing that company to record
and sell their music: Culture Club and their
lead singer, Boy George, signed with Virgin
early in 1982.
SILT
silted, silted, silting
Isilt upl
if a river or lake silts up, or something silts it
up, it fills with sand, mud or soil etc and the
water cannot flow properly: In the eighteenth
century, the San Diego River nearly silted up.
SIMMER
simmered, simmered, simmering
-Isimmer down I
especially erEto stop being angry and become
calm again: Come on, Peggy, simmer down
now. IAfter everyone had simmered down, the
argument wasn't mentioned again.
*SlMILAR TO: calm down, cool down
SING
sang, sung, singing
sing along
Ising alongI
to sing with someone else who is already
singing or playing music: The crowd was
dancing and singing along.
+ with I always sing along with the radio
when I drive.
sing-alongN[e]
an informal occasion when people sing
songs together: Bring your guitar and we'll
have a sing-along.
1 Ising outI Ising out ~
to sing loudly and clearly: Toby cheerfully
sang out the birthday song as soon as Ellen
walked into the office.
2 Ising out I Ising out I sth I IsingI sthlout I
especially literary to say something in a loud
voice, especially in a friendly way: "Good
morning, Mrs James!" she sang out as I
passed her house. I When the dessert cart
passes by, she sings out: "How about the
strawberry cheesecake tonight, Vito?"
sing up
Ising upl
erEto sing more loudly: Don't be shy - sing up!
SINGLE
singled, singled, singling
Isingle outI sb/sth I IsingleI sb/sthlout I
to choose someone or something fromamong a group of similar people or things,especially in order to praise them or criticizethem: She singled out Brad PiU as her favourite actor.
+ for Teachers should not single out students for special treatment.
*SIMILARTO: pick out
2 Isink backI
to return to a state that you were in before,
or to return to a habit that you used to have
+into After the wedding, Eric and I sank
back into our usual routine. IEddie sank back into silence, apparently satisfied.
2 Isink down I
to move downwards: The sun slowly sank down in the sky and disappeared behind the hills.
-~Isink inl
if information, ideas, or facts sink in, you
gradually understand them and realize theirfull meaning: Ron paused, as if to let the message sink in. ITears welled up in Nancy's eyes as the news of her father 's death slowly