skulk /skAlk/ verb [V +adv./prep.] (disapproving) to hide or move
around secretly, especially when you are planning sth bad itft;
There was someone skulking behind the bushes.
skull /skAl/ noun 1 the bone
structure that forms the head and surrounds and protects the brain /•$ # ; X ( M ) # BOH cranium: a fractured skull
—
picture o body 2 (informal) the head or the brain f|
fl|7; !|/H: Her skull was crammed with too
many thoughts. MII iH7 iT^S 0
(informal) When will
he get it into his thick
skull that I never want to see him again! fife 7!
.skull and 'crossbones noun [sing.] a
picture of a human skull above two crossed bones, used in the past on the flags
of pirate ships, and now used as
a warning on containers with dangerous substances inside flSftjfc,
skull-cap /'skAlkaep/ noun. a small round cap worn on
top of the head, especially by male Jews and Catholic
bishops %mmm <
—
see also yarmulke skullduggery = skulduggery
skunk /skArjk/ (NAmE also pole-cat) noun 1 a small black and
white N American animal that can produce a strong unpleasant smell to defend
itself when it is attacked it H J| Id — picture o raccoon 2 {slang) = skunkweed IT7T77I see drunk adj. skunk-weed /'skArjkwiid/ (also slang skunk) noun [U] a strong type of cannabis 3M$cA#f skunk-works /'skAr)kw3:kz;
NAmE -W3:rkz/ noun (pi. skunk-works) (NAmE, informal) a
small laboratory or department of a large company used for doing new scientific
research or developing new products ( A&
mi
sky tHr /skai/ noun, verb
m noun [C, U] (pi skies) the space above the
earth that you can see when you look up, where clouds and the sun, moon and
stars appear A; HidHJ You usually say the sky. When sky is used with an adjective, use a ... sky. You can also use the
plural form skies, especially when you
are thinking about the great extent of the sky. M%t$L the sky0 a ... sky0
iHTO
skies, What’s that in
the sky? AAllPllff'^^ffl?
o The sky suddenly went dark and it started to
rain, X $ M $ 9f, BS BP T ® M 0 the
night sky o a cloudless sky 0
cloudless skies Tt'zk $ 0 a land of blue
skies and
sunshine —* o The skies above
were ablaze with a
spectacular firework display, it $X E$t, f f D331 the sky’s
the'limit
(informal) there is no limit to
what sb can achieve, earn, do, etc. With
a talent
like his, the sky’s the
limit.
—
more at great
adj., pie, praise v.
■
verb (skies, sky-ing,
skied, skied) [VN]
to hit a ball very high into the air ft
$: She skied her tee
shot.
, sky-'blue adj. bright
blue in colour, like the sky on a clear day ASSfe#); 171 ► ,sky 'blue noun [U]
sky-box /'skaibDks; NAmE -barks/ noun (NAmE) an
area of expensive seats, separated from other areas, high up in a sports ground
(
sky-cap /'skaikaep/ noun (NAmE) a
person whose job is to carry people’s bags at an airport sky div ing /'skaidaivirj/ noun [u]
a sport in which you jump from a plane and fall for as long as you safely can
before opening your parachute #
:
to go skydiving — picture o
page R33 ► sky-diver noun
,sky-'high adj. very high; too high ®M W; Aift W: His confidence is
still sky-high. |H in 7' Ail. „ 0 sky-high
interest rates iU (ft flj$ ► , sky-'high adv.: After the election, prices went sky-high,
sky-jack /'skaid3aek/ verb [VN] to hijack a plane $ A $J ► sky-jack-ing /'skaid3aekirj/ noun [C, U] skyjacker /'skaid33eka(r)/ noun
sky-lark /'skailaik; NAmE -larrk/
noun a
small bird that sings while it flies high up in the sky sky-light /'skailait/ noun a
small window in a roof (
)
AH
sky-line /'skailain/ noun the
outline of buildings, trees, hills, etc. seen against the sky ( $7
(ft ) : the
sky-rocket /'skaimkit; NAmE -ra:k-/
verb [V]
(of prices, etc. ifti&W) to rise quickly to a very high level
urn
sky-scraper /'skaiskreip0(r)/ noun a very tall building in a
city J^AA® — picture o page R14 'sky surfing noun [U] the sport of jumping from a plane and
travelling through the air on a board before landing with a parachute $ A ; $ A
sky-wards /'skaiwadz; NAmE -wardz/
(also sky-ward) adv. towards
the sky; up into the sky $]A:£:
She pointed skywards, ft A$ o o The
rocket soared
skywards. A flu >7<M§J]A±liAo slab /slaeb/ noun 1
a thick flat piece of stone, wood or other hard material ( ) 1$$.: a
slab of marble/concrete,
etc. XMXik. 0
The road was paved with smooth stone slabs, ifjj&fflT- 0 paving slabs 0 a
dead body
on the slab (= on a table in a mortuary) iff 2 a thick,
flat slice or piece of sth If A; J? : a
slab of chocolate —A*£*5^A 0 slabs of meat bJj&gJt
slack /slaek/ adj., noun, verb
«
adj. (slacker, slackest) 1 not stretched tight
AM67 ^ H771 loose : She was staring
into space, her mouth slack. XffllfoW.WmJ^To
0 The rope
suddenly went slack. 7 M T .0
o slack muscles ^ 3fe W JUl N 2 (of business X M.) not having many
customers or sales; not busy :
a slack period f ^ |j 3 (disapproving) not putting enough
care, attention or energy into sth and so not doing it well enough if it #j; 7 $ 777 ft flj 7 6^;
^
JL SR ^ : He’s been very slack in his
work lately. j£t
3fcitkIfNI7iA^o
0 Discipline in the classroom is very slack. MJQ&LWXftWEMo ► slack-ly adv.: Her arms hung slackly by her sides. <, slack
ness noun [U]
■
noun [U] — see also slacks
1 the part of a rope,
etc. that is hanging loosely ( MM &•] nP7: There’s
too much slack in the tow
rope. X 1ft „ 2 people, money or space that
should be used more fully in an organization (
WSbP^: There’s very little slack in the budget.
—
W i'XM & ft o 3 very
small pieces of coal M;
IT5TW1 cut sb some 'slack (informal) to be less critical
of sb or less strict with them A;
Hey, cut him some slack! He’s doing his best!
m, mz&RiktjTi takeup
the slack 1 to
improve the way money or people are used in an organization 2 to pull on
a rope, etc. until it is tight a verb [V] to work less hard
than you usually do or should do if,t; jgflf; M EIYT-Ifl .slack 'off (on sth) to do sth more slowly
or with less energy than before $£if;
slack en /'slaskan/ verb 1 ~ sth to gradually become, or to make sth become, slower,
less active, etc. ( f<£ )
If , 'MM, Wffc
H771 relax : [V] We’ve been really
busy, but things are
starting to slacken off now. jfr3ttf£
ammw, o[vN]she
slackened her pace a little (= walked a little
more slowly). If 2 to become or to make sth
become less tight ( ^ CTITI loosen :
[V]
His grip slackened and she pulled away from him. ftliMf#
—
SP 'a
% 7, ft J® ^ # Aft JF h o o [VN] He slackened the
ropes slightly.