if ^; if it: M; if ife S: a music/theatre/literary, etc. critic WA, AM1!, jt^^if ifclC 0 The critics loved the movie, if i£ ^ A IAhP ft. ft 0       2 a person who

expresses disapproval of sb/sth and talks about their bad qualities, especially publicly if #; M W\ (ft A: She is one o/ the ruling party’s most outspoken critics.

o        a critic of

private health care        tffcif ^A(ftA

critical (Ht / kritikl/ adj.

►                 EXPRESSING DISAPPROVAL A J .       1 ~ (of sb/sth)

expressing disapproval of sb/sth and saying what you think is bad about them jttif (ft; jtfcfij14(ft; MMMl: a critical comment/report fit f ij ft (ft if iti / jf il 0 The supervisor is always very critical. A Hf & H IS M W\ 0 0 Tom’s parents were highly critical of the school.

►                 IMPORTANT if( 1 2 extremely important because a

future situation will be affected by it g^Eft; Ait (ft; M A M M ift HUH crucial : a critical factor in the election campaign ^ ils  (ft A ft LSI % 0 Reducing levels

of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is of critical import­ance.    o Your

decision is critical to our future,    (ft A ft f t -1M1 (ft tI A

MAMA o note at essential

►                 SERIOUS/DANGEROUS f ; fl (4 3 serious, uncertain and possibly dangerous f* ;£ (ft; A It ft (ft;

(ft: The first 24 hours after the operation are the most critical 1^AAAi£fA24/hfftJlkJi)G;fMo o a critical moment in our country’s history IcSM A±(ftlcL(t!.AA b One of the victims of the fire remains in a critical condi­tion. A A — {& h #f 'If jg; M » — see also crisis(2)

►                 MAKING CAREFUL JUDGEMENTS fij ifi ft ft 4 involving

making fair, careful judgements about the good and bad qualities of sb/sth ft f ij if A ; fij ®t£JE ( ft

fj| ) (ft : Students are encouraged to develop critical thinking instead of accepting opinions without ques­tioning them.  mammm

►                 OF ART/MUSIC/BOOKS, ETC. Z A . ft A , -ft ft 5 [only

before noun] according to the judgement of critics of art, music, literature, etc. #||g (     WA,   ) ifife

M- (ft if ife: the film director’s greatest critical success IP

0 In her day she

never received the critical acclaim (= praise from the critics) she deserved, EMftAAftiSIlJlkifikAlv^nMlft ff ► crit ic al ly /-ikli/ adv.: She spoke critically of her father. <&&£!) X M H MW WlM«, 0 He is critically ill in intensive care, it    IE fit A # ffi A ft 0 0 /

looked at myself critically in the mirror. ffc/tlf ttft, M

ijftJTMia o

.critical 'mass noun {physics $j) the smallest amount of a substance that is needed for a nuclear chain reac­tion to take place (SjSlW )

.critical 'path noun [sing.] (technical Ain) the order of work that should be followed to complete a project as fast and as cheaply as possible (          B

wm) a mm

.critical theory noun [U] a way of thinking about and examining culture and literature by considering the social, historical, and ideological forces that affect it and make it the way it is jttif 3® i£, jttftJSlifc ( It/Aft

itXitfX^ )

criti cism O-w /'kritisizam/ noun 1 [U, C] ~ (of sb/sth) | ~ (that ... ) the act of expressing disapproval of sb/sth and opinions about their faults or bad qualities; a statement showing disapproval lit if; jtt f ij; M $r ; tt M : The plan has attracted criticism from consumer groups. & if #J [ M 7 # M W tR W la Mo 0 There was widespread criticism of the govern­ment’s handling of the disaster.

M T jlrjii(ft jttif <, o People in public life must always be open to criticism (= willing to accept being criticized). ZftfrAMMStW'/tS-jg't jttif o o Ben is very sensitive, he just can’t take criticism. AMWtT jtt if 0          0 to offer sb constructive criticism (= that is

meant to be helpful) il ft ® i& 'If. (ft ftfc if M O I didn’t mean it as a criticism,     I tfWf S» 0

criticisms levelled at (= aimed at) journalists itfttiB# (ft jit if O My only criticism of the house is that it is on a main road.     ft n£ —jttif EEii'E&tift —

EH3 praise 2 [U] the work or activity of making fair, careful judgements about the good and bad qualities of sb/sth, especially books, music, etc.

( AjMft.        ) ifi&Jt$, ifi£: literary

criticism

criti cize Ot» (Brf also ise) /‘kritisaiz/ verb

►                 - sb/sth (for sth) to say that you disapprove of sb/sth;

to say what you do not like or think is wrong about sb/sth It if; jttf!j;          fmfv. [VN ] The decision was

criticized by environmental groups. A/E'x:£|J Tifif 0 if Eft itt if o b The government has been criticized for not taking the problem seriously. iff @ yh«IMW3£5|J ffiMo 0 [V] All you ever do is criticize! frAjc ^flifijttif! PU3 praise 2 [VN] (6r£) to judge the good and bad qualities of sth if ife; if #: We were taught how to criticize poems, flcin^^ T^#ifi£i#fA

cri tique /krTtiik/ noun, verb

• noun a piece of written criticism of a set of ideas, a work of art, etc. if ifc; if  a feminist critique of

Freud’s theories

Utif

m verb [VN] to write or give your opinion of, or reaction to, a set of ideas, a work of art, etc. if i£; M ••• ‘X Aif iE; if : Her job involves critiquing designs by fashion students. M ift X if ^ if fij H ^ A ik ^ 4 tft

iiifo

crit-ter /‘krita(r)/ noun (NAmE, informal) a living creature : wild critters (ft croak/krauk; NAmE krouk/ verb, noun m verb 1 [V] to make a rough low sound, like the sound a frog makes Aft ( M&lft )  MM

►                 to speak or say sth with a rough low voice

if tt A iff IS: M I had a sore throat and could only croak. HcB&iM,          iTtii o [VN] He managed

to croak a greeting. f & ®      iffi Wl %M  0 [also V

speech] 3 [V] {slang) to die ?E;

*noun a rough low sound made in the throat, like the sound made by a frog ( \iff® A ft (ft )

croaky /'krauki; NAmE 'krou-/ adj. {informal) (of sb’s voice i# "h ) deep and rough, especially because of a sore throat (        ) «?M(ft

croc /krok; NAmE kraik-/ noun {informal) = crocodile cro-chet/'kraujei; NAmE kroo'Jei/ noun, verb mnoun [U] a way of making clothes, etc. from wool or cotton using a special thick needle with a hook at the end to make a pattern of connected threads ¥] If ^

— picture o knitting

mverb (cro chet-ing, cro cheted) to make sth using crochet 11 it IR: [VN] a crocheted shawl ty if (ft M li [also V]

crock /krok; A/Amf kraik/ noun 1 crocks [pi.] {old- fashioned) cups, plates, dishes, etc. $$ ff ; D tl 2 [C] {old use) a large pot made of baked clay K $$.; A ?

►                 [C] (6rf, informal) an old person      AEjWA 4 [C]

(Brf, informal) an old car in bad condition S£ IB (ft HX- ITim a .crock of shit {taboo, slang, especially NAmE) something that is not true f(Ei§; Sli^Ail —more at gold n.

crocked /krokt; NAmE kraikt/ adj. [not before noun] {NAmE, slang) drunk          mtm

crock-cry /'krokari; NAmE 'kraik-/ noun [U] 1 {especially BrE) plates, cups, dishes, etc. ^        ^ 2 {NAmE)

dishes, etc. that you use in the oven ( tfft )$[ft j

&, fa, m

croco-dile/'krokadail; NAmE 'kraik-/ (also informal croc) noun 1 [C] a large reptile with a long tail, hard skin and very big jaws. Crocodiles live in rivers and lakes in hot countries. MM 2 [U] crocodile skin made into leather ( M$tl£¥(ft ) MM'j&i: crocodile shoes M     It 3 [C] (6rf) a long line of people, especially

children, walking in pairs     'JET ift (ft A ( ftf^i L

M ) »™ 'crocodile tears if sb sheds (= cries) croco-