micro- /'maikrau; NAmE -krou/ combining form 1 (in nouns,
adjectives and adverbs small; on a small scale IK/hltfj; Mil 7 67 microchip 0
microorganism WXtyfi PT32 macro- 2 (in nouns; used in units of
measurement $jj one millionth
Ifc; U7j jfX —: a microlitre IfJj/ylL 7^ ft.
mi crobe /'maikraub; AM/tjE -kroub/ noun an extremely small living thing that
you can only see under a microscope
and that may cause disease WfX/I micro biologist /,maikraubai'Dlad3ist; NAmE -krou- bai'ail-/ noun a scientist who studies microbiology
micro biol ogy /,maikraubai'Dlad3i; NAmE-kroubai'ail-/ noun [U] the
scientific study of very small living things, such as bacteria ► microbiological
/, maikrau, baia'k>d3ikl; NAmE -krou,baia'la:d3-/
adj. micro-chip /'maikrautjip; NAmE -krou-/ noun, verb a noun (also chip) a very small piece of a material that is a
semiconductor, used to carry a
complicated electronic circuit
a verb (-pp-J [VN]
to put a microchip under the skin of an animal as a way of identifying it
T, flnFMii)
micro cli mate /'maikrauklaimat; NAmE -krou-/ noun {technical 7fcig) the weather
in a particular small area, especially when this is different from the weather
in the surrounding area ( ) /fHU
micro-code /'maikraukaud; NAmE -kroukoud/ noun [U, C] (computing if) a simple language
stored in a computer, through which the computer is operated IK
m (mxifmmmmmmm)
micro com puter /'maikraukampju:ta(r);
NAmE -krou-/ (also micro) noun a small computer that contains a microprocessor — compare mainframe,
MINICOMPUTER, PERSONAL COMPUTER
micro-cosm /'maikrauknzam; NAmE -kroukaiz-/ noun a thing, a place or a
group that has all the features and qualities of sth much larger rfff It
#:
The
family is a microcosm of society. M M ft £ $1 „
— compare macrocosm
ITiTOl in microcosm on a small scale /Js M
H ffe : The developments in this town represent in
microcosm what is happening in the country as a whole. &&&&»:£&
%m0
micro-dot /'maikraudDt; NAmE -kroudart/ noun 1 a very small
photograph about one millimetre in size, usually of a printed document it —
) 2 a very small round piece of a drug, especially the
illegal drug LSD ( Xfe )
microelectronics /.maikraui.lek'trnmks; NAmE -kroui.lek'train-/ noun [U] the
design, production and use of very small electronic circuits ► micro
electronic adj. [only before noun] micro-fibre (BrE) {NAmE micro-fiber) /'maikraufaiba(r); NAmE -rouf-/ noun [U] a
very light and warm artificial material that is used especially for making
coats and
jackets lt^, &&%■&( XBU
)
micro-fiche /'maikraufi:J; NAmE -krou-/ noun [u, C] a piece of film
with written information on it in print of very small size. Microfiches can
only be read with a special machine. *?if[tl£Jt; : The directory is
available on microfiche.
micro-film /‘maikraufilm; NAmE -krou-/ noun [U, C] film used for storing
written information on in print of very small size ggMftJR#
micro-gram /'maikraugraem; NAmE -krou-/ noun {symb Mg) a unit for measuring
weight; a millionth of a gram
) ;;
micro-in struc tion /'maikrauinstrAkJn; NAmE -krou-/ noun {computing if) a command that is written in MICROCODE (7£|
micro-light /'maikraulait; NAmE -krou-/ {BrE) {NAmE ultra-light) noun a very small light
aircraft for one or two people
micro-meter /mai'krnmita(r);
NAmE -kraim-/ noun 1 {NAmE) = micrometre 2 a device used for measuring very small
distances or spaces, using a screw with a very fine thread & XfrR.
micro-metre (BrE)
{NAmE micro-meter) /'maikrau- mi:ta(r); NAmE -krou-/ noun {symb pm) a unit for measuring
length, equal to one millionth of a metre « ( = STffrZ-*
)
mi-cron /'maikrnn;
NAmE -krain/ noun {old-fashioned)
= MICROMETRE
micro-organ-ism
/.maikrau'oigamzam;
NAmE ,maik- rou'oirg-/ noun {technical Tftigj a very small living thing that you
can only see under a microscope |t:£#J micro-phone /'maikrafaun; NAmE -foun/ (also informal mic, mike) noun a device that is used for recording sounds
or for making your voice louder when you are speaking or singing to an audience if M
:
to speak into the microphone If % %
Jxl i# if 0 Their remarks were picked up by the hidden micro- phones.
micro-pro-ces-sor
/,maikrau'prausesa(r);
NAmE -krou- 'prou-/ noun {computing if) a small unit of a computer that
contains all the functions of the central
processing unit it&LSlfi;
ft&LMfll micro-scope
/'maikraskaup;
NAmE -skoup/ noun an
instrument used in scientific study for making very small things look larger so
that you can examine them carefully lit: a microscope slide Strife it 0 The
bacteria were then examined under a/the microscope.
0
{figurative) In the
play, love and marriage
are put under the microscope.
& $ m M M ik
-it mmMmAiJm&AVkwuvSo
—
picture o laboratory — see also electron
microscope
micro-scop-ic /.maikra'skDpik; NAmE -'skaipik/ adj. 1 [usually before noun] extremely small and
difficult or impossible to see without a microscope /Js 6$; it /f $J; fr hi & It iM
^ W : a microscopic creature/ particle ; WEi 0 (humorous) The sandwiches were
microscopic! jk
* H $ Tp >h # tfe # 7 ! 2 [only
before noun] using a microscope hi j| it it #J : a microscopic
analysis/examination M it H ft / Ift
S: ►
micro-scop-ic-al-ly /-kli/ adv. : microscopically
small creatures it 7 $9 0 All samples are
examined microscopically.
micro scopy /mai'krnskapi; NAmE -'kra:s-/
noun [U] (technical yftigj
the use of microscopes to look at
very small creatures, objects, etc
micro second /'maikrau; cand; NAmE -krou-/ noun (technical 7ig-) (symb ps)
one
millionth of a second it
#;
~87jfrZ &
microsurgery /'maikraus3:d3ari; NAmE
-krous3:r-/ noun [U] the use of extremely small instruments and microscopes in order to perform very
detailed and complicated medical operations micro-wave /'maikrawerv/ noun, verb mnoun 1
(also formal .microwave 'oven) a type of oven that
cooks or heats food very quickly using electromagnetic
waves rather than heat : Reheat
the
soup in the microwave. JEMtoJftt&iFMM0f/Jfi^“^17^o 0 microwave
cookery/meals It 'F t£ / UYf i on
—
picture o page Ri6 — compare oven
2 (technical i§) an electromagnetic wave that is shorter
than a radio wave but longer than a light wave W/fi
m verb [VN] to cook or heat
sth in a microwave
( )'fc> vocabulary notes on page R16 ► micro
wave-able (also micro-wav-able) adj.: microwaveable
meals f
mic tur ate /'miktjureit; NAmE 'miktja-/
verb [V] (formal) to urinAte
mid
/mid/ prep, (literary) = amid mid- 0-w /mid/ combining form (in nouns and adjectives flj % is] fll f #
is]) in the middle of jg £; fEf* |b] ; mid-morning coffee
Jl X+.'.U # 0 She’s in
her mid-thirties.
^7o