or place Ib A ^: an A to Z of needlework M |g ®

ATP /,ei ti: 'pi/ noun [U] (erf) the abbreviation for ‘auto­matic train protection’, a system for automatically stopping a train if the driver does not stop or go slower when a signal tells him/her to ^ij A g  ^ ^

f] automatic train protection )

,at-‘risk adj. [only before noun] (of a person or group AlSc f$i£) in danger of being attacked or hurt, especially in their own home ( f&ftMMtt )     WfSif

31 \% Hr W: Social services keep lists of at-risk children.

atrium /'eitriam/ noun 1 a large high space, usually with a glass roof, in the centre of a modem building

(ajt 2 an

open space in the centre of an ancient Roman villa (= a large house) (  ) A# 3 (anatomy j$)

either of the two upper spaces in the heart that are used in the first stage of sending the blood around the body>frj^ SHE! auricle

atrocious /a'traujas; NAmE a'trou-/ adj. 1 very bad or unpleasant jf ; A jf -ft A K77I terrible : She speaks French with an atrocious accent, (tfe i# "A iff A o Isn’t the weather atrocious? A A A M If 7  ? 2 very cmel and shocking # (ft; ^ E

(ft; !><l M (ft:     atrocious acts of brutality ^ H (ft # If

►                 atro-cious-ly adv.

atro-city /a'trnsati; NAmE a'trais-/ noun [C, usually pi., U] {pi. -ies) a cmel and violent act, especially in a war ( ft

at-ro-phy /'aetrafi/ noun, verb

mnoun [U] {medical IS) the condition of losing flesh, muscle, strength, etc. in a part of the body because it does not have enough blood i? its : {figurative, formal)

The cultural life of the country will sink into atrophy unless more writers and artists emerge, itt A iS: AIL (ft

m verb (at ro phies, atro-phying, at-rophied, at-rophied) [V] if a part of the body atrophies, it becomes weak because it is not used or because it does not have enough blood H til; A ii :        {figurative) Memory can

atrophy through lack of use. iE1£

►                 at-rophsed adj. :  atrophied muscles §? W (ft fill l£} o

atrophied religious values k&

atta boy /'aetabai/ exclamation {informal, especially NAmEt) used when you want to encourage sb or show your admiration of them, especially a boy or man ( M ) £F#(ft — see also attagirl attach 0-w /a'taetJV verb

1 [VN] ~ sth (to sth) to fasten or join one thing to another IE ••• fll aE , IE PH ( HE ± ) : Attach the coupon to the front of your letter. lEf£l5#PflHEf@(ftiE ffi o 0 I attach a copy of my notes for your information. M PH ± ^ iB —* o O I attach a copy of the

spreadsheet {= send it with an email).  7 M # PH

± E&7AI&—ff o 0 (figurative) They have attached a number of conditions to the agreement (= said that the conditions must be part of the agreement). fifed HE il ± PH jjp 7 — # & 17 o — compare detach(I) 2 [VN] ~ importance, significance, value, weight, etc. (to sth) to believe that sth is important or worth thinking about

( &MX. iftilu     ) ; mil:

I attach great importance to this research.  iA A JJW

% A ft m H o 3 [VN] ~ yourself to sb to join sb for a time, sometimes when you are not welcome or have not been invited ( Hf     ) #®,

• • • HE —        H U: He attached himself to me at the

party and I couldn’t get rid of him. HtH^±ftfe^H^lIr 3%, 1% ® A; II 111 ftfe o 4 ~ to sb/sth (format) to be connected with sb/sth; to connect sth to sth (       )

[V] No one is suggesting that any health risks attach to this product. j^f/Ala 7 iAA 0 No blame attaches to you. ffc— <> [VN] This does not attach any blame to you.       it ff iir&Wo

at tache /a'taejei; NAmE .aeta'Jei/ noun a person who works at an embassy, usually with a special responsi-