or CDs, watching
videos, recording themselves, etc.
'language transfer noun [u] (linguistics ig- W) the
process of using your knowledge of your first language or another language that
you know when speaking or writing a language that you are learning ig ip
WAA ( fcWaSfcffciHFW
)
langue /log; NAmE la:i]g/ noun (linguistics ig W) (from French) a language
considered as a communication system of a particular community, rather than the
way- individual people speak ( j) igW — compare parole n.(2) lan guid /'laerjgwid/ adj. moving slowly in an elegant manner, not needing energy or effort ; tf M
64 : a languid wave of the hand jj$ # # — W ¥ o a languid
afternoon in the sun PBAT “'MU## WT12 ►
lan-guid-ly adv.: He
moved languidly across the room.
SYNONYMS |^i?U$#f
language
vocabulary ♦
terms»wording * terminology
These are all terms for the words and expressions people use when they
speak or write, or for a particular style of speaking or writing. M
jL&MfyjriaWi
m »***#£«»*#:
language a particular style of speaking or writing ja ^ aig^igW: Give your
instructions in everyday language, Jf jMffi64ig'S 4^ 0 the language of the legal profession vocabulary all the words that a person knows or uses,
or all the words in a particular language; the words that people use when they
are talking about a particular subject
to have a wide/
limited vocabulary isJTTH / WK o The word has become part of advertising
vocabulary.
rr^^igo
terms a way of expressing yourself or of saying sth ItST i£i£: I’ll try to
explain in simple
terms.
wording [usually sing.] the words that are used in a piece of writing or speech,
especially when they have been carefully chosen ]f jf hliU: It was the
standard form of wording for
a consent letter. SJII§I
terminology (rather formal) the set of technical words or expressions
used in a particular subject; words used with particular meanings jf^4M464A ig. *tnmit: medical
terminology 0 Scientists are
constantly
developing new terminologies. 44 fcM §r 64T
fjffl'igo IM«m Literary/poetic terminology is used
for talking about
literature or poetry. Literary/poetic language is used for writing in a literary or poetic style. * literary/poetic
terminology ffc, literary/poetic language
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS
■
formal/informal language/vocabulary/terms/
wording/terminology
■
everyday language/vocabulary/terms/terminology
■
technical language/vocabulary/wording/terminology
■
business/scientific/specialized language/
vocabulary/terminology
■
careful/ambiguous language/terms/wording/
terminology
■
to enrich/expand your language/vocabulary
A word enters the language/the vocabulary.
lan-guish /'laerigwiJV
verb [V] {formal) 1 ~ (in sth) to be forced to
stay somewhere or suffer sth unpleasant for a long time ft it if -KJBIMf; She continues
to languish in a
foreign prison.
KlElI „ 2 to become weaker or fail to make
progress ^ j#
it H ; A % & M : Share prices languished at 102p.
JK3S0M&#iirfc 102 ftdr±» lan guor /'laer)ga(r)/ noun [U, sing.] (literary) the pleasant state of feeling
lazy and without energy f§ M ; M # # ; 1)f fljfc: A.
delicious languor was stealing over him.
► lan-guor-
ous /'laeijgaras/
adj.: a languorous pace of life 64£?£T# lan-guor-ous-ly adv.
La Nina /la: 'niinja/ noun [U]
the cooling of the water in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean that happens
every few years and that affects the weather in many parts of the world imUMML (
) — compare El
Nino
lank /laerjk/
adj. 1 (of hair TA) straight, dull and not attractive T
i! ffn A A # 64 2 {SAfrE, informal)
large in number or amount A M 64; fS ^ 64: I’ve got lank work to do.
lanky /'laerjki/ adj.
(of a person A) having long thin arms and legs and moving in an
awkward way ® -|£ ( l&ffim, Mrt ) a tall, lanky teen
ager MU ^-fc64T¥ E£d GANGLING
lanolin /'laenalin/ noun [U] an
oil that comes from sheep’s wool and is used to make skin creams TTIh ()
lan tern /'laentan; NAmE -tarn/
noun a lamp in a transparent case, often a metal case
with glass sides, that has a handle, so that you can carry it outside ; $1 —
picture o light — see
also Chinese lantern 'Lantern
Festival noun [u] = Bon .lantern 'jaw noun a long
thin jaw with a
large chin ►, lantern- jawed adj.
lanth-anum /'laenOanam/
noun [U] {symb La) a
chemical element. Lanthanum is a silver-white metal. HI lap /laep/ noun,
verb
• noun [C] 1
[usually sing.] the top part of your legs that forms a flat surface when you
are sitting down ( ^ H 04) AMnP: There’s only one seat so
you'll have to sit onmylap. j/pHjM&TSM±7o 0 She
sat with her hands in
her lap.
2 one journey from the beginning to the end
of a track used for running, etc. ( ]®}il^64 ) — HI: the
fastest lap on record 4iEip:±ijt1&64 — ® o She has completed six
laps. MH^aITo 0 He was overtaken on the final lap. ffe £ ft IB — ffl j@ jut o o to do a lap
of honour
(= go around the track again to celebrate winning) gg BM
0 (NAmE) to do a victory lap 3 a section of a journey, or of a
piece of work, etc. ( j7l§^XfET64 ) —ST'T: They’re off on the first lap of
their round-the-world tour. jtkff]8§±i^$£ty:!?- 64
% — f& © 0 0 We’ve nearly
finished. We’re on the
last lap.
fTITTn drop/dump sth in sb’s 'lap (informal) to
make sth the responsibility of another person IE (
XflM: They
dropped the problem firmly back in my lap. sth droPs/faiis into
sb’s lap somebody
has the opportunity to do sth pleasant without having made any effort ( M A $$
Hfe ) W ?'J -ll' ♦ W ^; ® : My dream job
just
fell into my lap. in
the lap of the gods if the result of sth is in the lap of the gods, you do not know what will happen
because it depends on luck or things you cannot control Eh ^ 4; $ in the lap of
luxury in
easy, comfortable conditions, and enjoying the advantages of being rich
■ verb (-pp-)
1 [V] (of water 7JC) to touch sth gently and regularly, often making a
soft sound ( $£ ^ Tfn W W % ) tS tl; The
waves lapped around our feet.
o the
sound of water lapping against the boat [VN] (of animals %}<$))
to drink sth with
quick movements of the tongue ^ 3 [VN]
(in a race gg %) to pass another