tactical(3) ► stra-tegic-al-ly /-kli/ adv.: a strategically placed microphone Ac   # IHi f# 31^ IIA M o a stra­

tegically important target ftlfiX&ti&MXtf) @ ^ the Strategic De fense initiative noun {abbr. SDl) a US military plan in which it was intended to use tech­nology in space to defend against missiles

strat egist /'straetad3ist/ noun a person who is skilled at planning things, especially military activities &

Strategy &"■»» /'straetad3i./. noun {pi. -ies).

1 [C] ~ (for doing sth) | - (to do sth) a plan that is intended to achieve a particular purpose ^ B&; it W.; tr it x'i: to develop a strategy for dealing with un­employment t!J it ft? A AikT] ^ A 0 It’s all part of an overall strategy to gain promotion, j&fftAilJl— tfg ^ it $l W —* tP it o <> the government’s economic strategy iffr J|f    3^ i§ 2 [U] the process of planning

sth or putting a plan into operation in a skilful way M 1; Ml; pP W; i%%r&#: marketing strategy £lj 3 [U, C] the skill of planning the movements of armies in a battle or war; an example of doing this A S& ; hP H : military strategy % ^ ££ o defence strategies KlfPoPW — compare tactic strath-spey /straeG'spei/ noun a slow Scottish dance; a piece of music for this dance $T##$r(SPllf (

&).> mmttm.m®

strati fi ca tion /.straetifi'keijn/ noun [U] (technical A iff) the division of sth into different layers or groups ft

Mi J&M: social stratification ft^ffiMik

strat-ify /'straetifai/ verb (strati-fies, stratifying, strati­fied, strati-fied) [VN] [usually passive] (formal or technical A iff) to arrange sth in layers or strata (          ) ftM,

f$LM : a highly stratified society M&ftiktflft^ 0 stratified rock AM A

strato cumu lus /,straetau'kju:mjalas; NAmE .streitoo-; .straetou-/ noun [U] (technical A iff) a type of cloud which forms a thick grey layer low down in the sky MIRA strato sphere /'straetasfia(r); NAmE -sfir/ noun the stratosphere [sing.] the layer of the earth’s atmosphere between about 10 and 50 kilometres above the surface of the earth 7$ftM—compare ionosphere ► strato­spheric /.straeta'sferik; NAmE also -'sfir-/ adj.: strato­spheric clouds A W3W1 in/into the 'stratosphere

at or to an extremely high levei # ( Af1! )

The technology boom sent share prices into the strato­sphere.

stra tum /'strcctam; NAmE’streitam/ noun (pi strata /-ta/) 1 (geology life) a layer or set of layers of rock, earth, etc. M; %M; itfeM 2 (formal) a class in a society PfrM: people from all social strata A g          A

stra tus /'streitas; 'straitas/ noun [U] (technical ^ iff) a type of cloud that forms a continuous grey sheet covering the sky If A

stra vaig (also stravage) /stra'veig/ verb [V, often +adv./ prep.] (IrishE, Scoff) to walk around without an aim

ft; AMU; 8U*

straw /stra:/ noun 1 [U] stems of wheat or other grain plants that have been cut and dried. Straw is used for making mats, hats, etc., for packing things to protect them, and as food for animals or for them to sleep on.

(        ) Aff, Mft,  a mattress filled

with straw          fit E: [ft 7 o a straw hat —com­

pare hay(1) 2 [C] a single stem or piece of straw —fit A ft ( A M ft . H ^ ) : He was leaning over the gate chewing on a straw.     fSf'Jtt H -to

3 (also drinking straw) a thin tube of plastic or paper that you suck a drink through ( nJ| tR # ffl ) VH H — picture o packaging UiiTl clutch/grasp at straws to try all possible means to find a solution or some hope in a difficult or unpleasant situation, even though this seems very unlikely ( AA

'        the last/final 'straw | the .straw

that breaks the camel’s back the last in a series of bad events, etc. that makes it impossible for you to accept a situation any longer JEE1# '9E (ft § fs — fH f§

) a

straw in the 'wind (BrE) a small sign of what might

happen in the future (   ) MMi, la A,

%% — more at brick n., draw v.

straw-berry /'strorbari; NAmE -beri/ noun (pi. -ies) a soft red fruit with very small yellow seeds on the surface, that grows on a low plant ^ # : strawberries and cream      o strawberry plants   —picture

o page R17

.strawberry blonde (also .strawberry blond) adj. (of hair A %£) a light reddish-yellow colour ^ # ft

w; mmmj

'strawberry mark noun a red mark on sb’s skin that has been there since they were born

±l)

.straw 'poll (NAmE also .straw 'vote) noun an occasion when a number of people are asked in an informal way to give their opinion about sth or to say how they are likely to vote in an election ( ij$ o note at election

stray /strei/ verb, adj., noun

m verb [V] 1 [usually +adv./prep.\ to move away from the place where you should be, without intending to M ; fjjn ; £ A : He strayed into the path of an oncoming car. fife fill] f - #j Mi 4$ A GfJ H A fr'J If # ik ± 0 <> Her eyes kept straying over to the clock on the wall. @    2 [usually +adv./prep.]

to begin to think about or discuss a different subject from the one you should be thinking about or discussing j|] HIE M ; ^ M : My mind kept

straying back to our last talk together,         —#0

0 We seem to be

straying from the main theme of the debate.         H

3 (of a person who is married or in a relationship      [IIM A^#) to have a sexual

relationship with sb who is not your usual partner ft ft

ill;

madj. [only before noun] 1 (of animals normally kept as pets # ta % $]) away from home and lost; having no home      : stray dogs ^     2 separated

from other things or people of the same kind #Jt &*J;

^ tit : a civilian was killed by a stray bullet. - A A A W ift # tT ft „ 0 a few stray hairs

■                  noun 1 an animal that has got lost or separated from

its owner or that has no owner A 2E ^      . M

0 ) ;   ) — see also waif 2 a person

or thing that is not in the right place or is separated from others of the same kind

streak /striik/ noun, verb

• noun 1 a long thin mark or line that is a different colour from the surface it is on     : streaks of

grey in her hair fffeA-t         <> dirty streaks on the

window H Ait      o note at mark 2 a part of a

person’s character, especially an unpleasant part ( A Ih   a ruthless/vicious/mean streak ^

gg IM'M / # W # ft 0 a streak of cruelty Jl ft & 3 a series of successes or failures, especially in a sport or in gambling (        ) MMttm, W

W , is H, A A: « streak of good luck fe A£F$J — SN'Ib] o to hit ■(= have) a winning streak 0 to be on a winning/losing streak £Jr±)®$J /

0 a lucky/unlucky streak         A0W1A®

■                  verb 1 [VN] - sth (with sth) to mark or cover sth with

streaks#  ^

) : Tears streaked her face.

His face was streaked with mud. fife:J& ±  ^ ^ GfJ

M o o She’s had her hair streaked {= had special chemicals put on her hair so that it has attractive coloured lines in it), jflfe A %       7 ^ ^ 0 2 [V +adv./

prep.] to move very fast in a particular direction A#;

^ife HT1 speed : A car pulled out and streaked off down the road. -- $j       fti B  Ac

3 [V, usually +adv./prep.] (informal) to run through a public place with no clothes on as a way of getting attention