New words

action figure noun a doll representing a soldier or a character from a film / movie, TV show, etc.

advertorial noun an advertisement that is designed to look like an article in the newspaper or magazine in which it appears

affinity group noun (especially NAmE) a group of people who share the same interest or purpose

airport fiction noun [U] novels that are popular and easy to read, often bought by people at airports

air quotes noun [pl.] imaginary quotation marks made in the air with your fingers when you are speaking, to show that you are using a word or phrase in an unusual way

A-list adj. [usually before noun] used to describe the group of people who are considered to be the most famous, successful or important: He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. — compare B-list

alpha male noun [usually sing.] the man or male animal in a particular group who has the most power

animatronics noun [U] the process of making and operating robots that look like real people or animals, used in films/movies and other types of entertainmen > animatronic, adj.

apart-hotel noun a type of hotel that has apartments where you can cook your own meals as well as ordinary hotel rooms

Atkins Diet noun a diet in which you eat foods that contain a high level of protein (meat, eggs, cheese, etc.) and avoid foods that contain a high level of carbohydrates (bread, rice, fruit, etc.)

attention deficit disorder (also attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) noun [U] (abbr. ADD, ADHD) a medical condition, especially in children, that makes it difficult for them to pay attention to what they are doing, to stay still for long and to learn things

B2B abbr. business-to-businesss

back-burner verb (informal, especially NAmE) to leave an idea or a plan for a time, to be done or considered later

banner ad noun an advertisement across the top or bottom or down the side of a page on the Internet

base jumping noun [U] the sport of jumping with a parachute from a high place such as a building or a bridge > base jumper noun

bean counter noun (informal, disapproving) a person who works with money, for example as an accountant and who wants to keep strict control of how much money a company spends

best practice noun [U, C] a wayof doing sth that is seen as a very good example of how it should be done and can be copied by other companies or organizations

B-list adj. [usually before noun] used to describe the group of people who are considered to be fairly famous, successful or important, but not as much as the A-list people: a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities

body board noun a short light type of surfboard that you ride lying on your front ► body-boarding noun [U]

Bollywood noun [U] (informal) used to refer to the Hindi film / movie industry, which mainly takes place in the Indian city of Mumbai (formerly called Bombay)

BOTOX noun [U] a substance that makes muscles relax. It is sometimes injected into the skin around sb's eyes to remove lines and make the skin look younger. ► Botox verb [vn] [usually passive]: Do you think she's been Botoxed?

bounce noun, on the bounce (BrE, informal) one after the other, without anything else coming between: We've won six matches on the bounce.

boy band noun a group of young men who sing pop music and dance

bull bars noun [pl.] (BrE) a set of strong metal bars fixed to the front of a large vehicle to protect it from damage

business-to-business adj. [usually before noun] (abbr. B2B) done between one business and another rather than between a business and its ordinary customers

busted adj. [not before noun] (NAmE, informal) caught in the act of doing sth wrong and likely to be punished: You are so busted!

caller ID noun [U] a system that uses a device on your telephone to identify and display the telephone number of the person who is calling you

cargo pants (BrE also combats, combat trousers) noun [pl.] loose trousers that have pockets in various places, for example on the side of the leg above the knee

CGI abbr. computer-generated imagery: 'Dinosaur' combines CGI animation with live-action location shots.

chad noun the small piece that is removed when a hole is made in a piece of card, etc.

chip and PIN (also chip and pin) (both BrE) noun [U] a system of paying for sth with a credit card or debit card in which the card has information stored on it in the form of a microchip and you prove your identity by typing a number (your PIN) rather than by signing your name: Chip and PIN is designed to combat credit card fraud.

clip art noun [U] (computing) pictures and symbols that are stored in computer programs or on websites for computer users to copy and add to their own documents

co-dependency noun [U] (psychology) a situation in which two people have a close relationship in which they rely too much on each other emotionally, especially when one person is caring for the other one ► codependent adj, noun

computerate noun = computer-literate: Applicants need to be computerate.

conflicted adj. (especially NAmE) confused about what to do or choose because you have strong but opposing feelings

copy phr.v. сору sb in (on sth) to send sb a copy of a letter, e-mail message, etc. that you are sending to sb else: Can you copy me in on your report?

crack-head noun (slang) a person who uses the illegal drug crack

cross-promotion noun [C, U] (business) a set of advertisements or other activities that are designed to help a company sell two different products, or to help two companies sell their products or services together

cross-selling noun [U] (business) the activity of selling a different extra product to a customer who is already buying a product from a company

cross-trainer noun 1 a piece of exercise equipment that you use standing up, with parts that you push up and down with your feet and parts that you hold onto and push with your arms 2 a type of sports shoe that can be worn for more than one kind of sport

crusty noun (also crustie) (pl. -ies) (BrE, informal) a person who usually has no permanent home, has a dirty or untidy appearance, and rejects the way that most people live in Western society

customer base noun [usually sing.] (business) all the people who buy or use a particular product or service: We need to appeal to a wider customer base.

dead zone noun 1 a place or a period of time in which nothing happens: The town is a cultural dead zone. 2an area which separates two places, groups of people, etc.: The UN is trying to maintain a dead zone between the warring groups. 3 a place where a mobile phone/cellphone does not work because no signal can be received 4 (biology) an area of water in which animals cannot live because there is not enough oxygen

decrypt verb (especially computing) to change information that is in code into ordinary language so that it can be understood by anyone. opp. encrypt > decryption > opp. encryption

deep vein thrombosis noun [U, C] (abbr. DVT) (medical) a serious condition caused by a blot clot (= a thick mass of blood) forming in a vein: Passengers on long-haul flights are being warned about the risks of deep vein thrombosis.

def adj. (a slang) excellent: a def band

director’s cut noun a version of a film / movie, usually released some time after the original is first shown, that is exactly how the director wanted it to be

done adj., done deal an agreement or a plan that has been finally completed or agreed: The merger is by no means a done deal yet.

dot-com ( also dot com) noun a company that sells goods and services on the Internet, especially one whose address ends ‘.com’: The weaker dot-coms have collapesed; a dot-com millionaire

double-click verb [on smth] (computing) to choose a particular function or item on a computer screen, etc. by pressing one of the buttons on a mouse twice quickly

download noun data which is downloaded from another computer system > downloadable adj.

drum and bass noun [U] a type of popular dance music developed in Britain in early 1990s, which has a fast drum beat and a strong slower bass beat

economy class syndrome noun [U] the fact of a person suffering from deep vein thrombosis after they have travelled on a plane. This condition is thought to be more common among people who travel in the cheapest seats because they do not have space to move their legs much.

ecotourism noun [U] organized holidays / vacations that are designed so that the tourists damage the environment as little as possible, especially when some of the money they pay is used to protect the local environment and animals ► ecotourist noun

El Nino noun [U] a set of changes in the weather system near the coast of northern Peru and Ecuador that happens every few years, causing the surface of the Pacific Ocean there to become warmer and having severe effects on the weather in many parts of the world — compare La Nina

emoticon noun (computing) а short set of keyboard symbols that represents the expression on sb's face, used in e-mail, etc. to show the feelings of the person sending the message. For example :-) represents a smiling face (when you look at it sideways).

empty nester noun [usually pl.] a parent whose children have grown up and left home

entry-level adj. [usually before noun] 1 (of a product) basic and suitable for new users who may later move on to a more advanced product: an entry-level computer 2 (of a job) at the lowest level in a company

expansion card (also add-in) noun (computing) a circuit board that can be put into a computer to give it more memory or make it able to do more things

extreme fighting noun [U] = ultimate fighting

eye candy noun [U] (informal) a person or thing that is attractive but not intelligent or useful

face noun IDM in sb's 'face (informal) annoying sb by criticizing them or telling them what to do all the time

factoid noun 1 something that is widely accepted as a fact, although it is probably not true 2a small piece of interesting information, especially about sth that is not very important: Here's a pop factoid for you.

factory shop (BrE) (also factory store, factory outlet) noun a shop / store in which goods are sold directly by the company that produces them at a cheaper price than normal

fair-trade adj. involving trade which supports producers in developing countries by paying fair prices and making sure that workers have good working conditions and fair pay

farmers market noun a place where farmers sell food directly to the public

fashion-forward adj. more modern than the current fashion: We tend to be traditional rather than fashion-forward in our designs.

fashionista noun (used especially in newspapers) a fashion designer, or a person who is always dressed in a fashionable way

fashion statement noun something that you wear or own that is new or unusual and is meant to draw attention to you: This shirt is great for anyone who wants to make a fashion statement.

fence-mending noun [U] an attempt to improve relations between two people or groups and to try to find a solution to a disagreement between them

float verb ,float sb's boat (informal) to be what sb likes: You can listen to whatever kind of music floats your boat.

functional food noun [C, U] food that has had substances that are good for your health specially added to it

game noun, game on (informal) used after sth has happened that makes it clear that a contest is not yet decided and anyone could still win: We were losing 2-0 with ten minutes to go, and then we scored. It was game on!

gamer noun (informal) 1 a person who likes playing computer games 2 (NAmE) (in sports) a player who is enthusiastic and works hard

girl power noun [U] the idea that women should take control of their careers and lives

give verb, give it up (for sb) (informal) to show your approval of sb by clapping your hands: Give it up for Eddie Izzard!

golden goal noun (in some football (soccer) competitions) the first goal scored during extra time, which ends the game and gives victory to the team that scores the goal

go-to adj. [only before noun] (NAmE) used to refer to the person or place that sb goes to for help, advice or information: He's the president's go-to guy on Asian politics.

GPS abbr. global positioning system (= a system by which signals are sent from satellites to a special device, used to show the position of a person or thing on the surface of the earth very accurately)

graphics card noun (computing) a circuit board that allows a computer to show images on its screen

green audit noun an official examination of the effect of a company's business on the environment

grounded adj. having a sensible and realistic attitude to life: Away from Hollywood, he relies on his family and friends to keep him grounded.

hands-free adj. (of a telephone, etc.) able to be used without needing to be held in the hand

hi-jab noun 1 [С] а head covering worn in public by some Muslim women 2 [U] the religious system which controls the wearing of such clothing

hissy fit noun [C, usually sing.] (informal) a state of being bad-tempered and unreasonable SYN. tantrum: She threw a hissy fit because her dressing room wasn't painted blue.

ICT noun [U] (BrE) the study of the use of computers, the Internet, video, and other technology as a subject at school (the abbreviation for information and communications technology)

industrial-strength adj. (often humorous) very strong or powerful: industrial-strength coffee

inter faith adj. [only before noun] between or connected with people of different religions: an interfaith memorial service

joined-up adj. [usually before noun] (BrE) 1 joined-up writing is writing in which the letters in a word are joined to each other — compare printing 2 intelligent and involving good communication between different parts so that they can work together effectively: We need more joined-up thinking in our approach to the environment.

kidult noun (informal) an adult who likes doing or buying things that are usually thought more suitable for children

ladette noun (BrE, informal) a young woman who enjoys drinking alcohol, sport or other activities usually considered to be typical of young men

lairy (BrE, informal) behaving in a way that seems too loud and confident

La Nina 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-compare El Nino

large verb, large it large it up (BrE, slang) to enjoy yourself, especially by dancing and drinking alcohol

lippy adj., noun (BrE, informal) showing a lack of respect in the way that you speak to sb SYN. cheeky, noun [U] (BrE, informal) = lipstick

lite adj. (informal) 1 (especially NAmE) (of food or drink) containing fewer calories than other types of food, and therefore less likely to make you fat (a way of spelling 'light'): (lite ice cream) 2(used after a noun) (disapproving) used to say that a thing is similar to sth else but lacks many of its serious or important qualities: I would describe this movie as 'Hitchcock lite'.

lock-down noun [C, U] (NAmE) a situation in which restrictions are placed on sb's movements or actions: Prisoners have been placed on lockdown to prevent further violence at the jail.

loyalty card noun (BrE) a card given to customers by a shop / store to encourage them to shop there regularly. Each time they buy sth they collect points which will allow them to have an amount of money taken off goods they buy in the future.

luge noun 1[C] a type of sledge (= a vehicle for sliding over ice) for racing, used by one person lying on their back with their feet pointing forwards. 2 the luge [sing.] the event or sport of racing down a track of ice on a luge

make-over noun [C, U] the process of improving the appearance of a person or a place, or of changing the impression that sth gives

mallrat noun [NAmE, informal]a young person who spends a lot of time in shopping malls, often in a large group of friends

meet-and-greet adj. [only before noun] (of an event) arranged so that sb, especially a famous person, can meet and talk to people

menu bar noun (computing) a horizontal bar at the top of a computer screen that contains pull-down menus such as 'File', 'Edit' and 'Help'

message board noun a place on a website where a user can write or read messages: I posted a question on the message board.

me-too adj. [only before noun] (BrE, informal) done or produced because of sth successful that sb else has done: The magazine 'Hello!' gave rise to a number of me-too publications.

message sb (sth) verb to send a text message to sb: Fiona just messaged me. Brian messaged me the news. ► messaging noun [U]: a multimedia messaging service; picture messaging

metrosexual noun (informal) a heterosexual man who lives in a city and is interested in things like fashion and shopping ► metrosexual adj.

minging adj. [BrE, informal] very bad, unpleasant or ugly

mission [v + adv. / prep. ] (informal) to go on a long and difficult journey, especially one that involves going to many different places: We had to mission round all the bars until we found him.

monty, the full monty the full amount that people expect or want: They'll do the full monty (= take off all their clothes) if you pay them enough

morph verb 1 to change smoothly from one image to another using computer animation; to make an image change in this way 2 to change, or make sb / sth change into sth different

multitask verb 1 (of a computer) to operate several programs at the same time 2 to do several things at the same time: Women seem to be able to multitask better than men.

muso noun (BrE, informal) a person who plays, or is very interested in, music and knows a lot about it

name verb, name and shame (BrE) to publish the names of people or organizations who have done sth wrong or illegal

need-to-know adj., on a need-to-know basis with people being told only the things they need to know when they need to know them, and no more than that: Information will be released strictly on a need-to-know basis.

netiquette noun [U] (informal, humorous) the rules of correct or polite behaviour among people using the Internet

newbie noun (informal) a person who is new and has little experience in doing sth, especially in using computers SYN.novice

no-brainеr noun (NAmE, informal) a decision or a problem that you do not need to think about much because it is obvious what you should do

no-frills adj. [only before noun] (especially of a service or product) including only the basic features, without anything that is unnecessary, especially things added to make sth more attractive or comfortable: a no-frills airline

nutraceutical noun = functional food

off shoring noun [U] the practice of a company in one country arranging for people in another country to do work for it: the offshoring of call-centre jobs to India ► off-shore verb

oxygen bar noun a place where you can pay to breathe pure oxygen in order to improve your health and help you relax

paradigm shift noun a great and important change in the way sth is done or thought about

pay-as-you-go adj. connected with a system of paying for a service just before you use it rather than paying for it later: pay-as-you-go phones

pay channel noun a television channel that you must pay for separately in order to watch it

pay-per-view noun [U] a system of television broadcasting in which you pay an extra sum of money to watch a particular programme, such as a film / movie or a sports event

peer-to-peer adj. [only before noun] (computing) of a computer system in which each computer can act as a server for the others, allowing data to be shared without the need for a central server – compare client-server

perfect storm noun [sing.] an occasion when several bad things happen at the same time, creating a situation that could not be worse

personal trainer noun a person who is paid by sb to help them exercise, especially by deciding what types of exercise are best for them

phat adj. (slang, especially NAmE) very good

phishing noun [U]the activity of tricking people by getting them to give their identity, bank account numbers, etc. over the Internet or by email, and then using these to steal money from them

pixelate verb 1 to divide an image into pixels 2 to show an image on television as a small number of large pixels, especially in order to hide sb's identity

plateau verb [V] (out) to stay at a steady level after a period of growth or progress: Unemployment has at last plateaued out.

Plug and Play noun [U] (computing) a system which makes it possible for a piece of equipment, such as a printer, to be connected to a computer and to work immediately, without the user needing to do anything► plug-and-play adj.: plug-and-play peripherals

pop psychology noun [U] the use by ordinary people of simple or fashionable ideas from psychology in order to understand or explain people's feelings and emotional problems

postal adj. [only before noun], go postal (informal, especially NAmE) to become very angry: He went postal when he found out.

power nap noun a short sleep that sb has during the day in order to get back their energy > power-nap verb [v]

PPV abbr. pay-per-view

product placement noun [U, C] the use of particular products in films/movies or television programmes in order to advertise them

Prozac™ noun a drug used to treat the illness of depression: She's been on Prozac for two years.

quad bike (BrE) (NAmE, four-wheeler) noun a motorcycle with four large wheels, used for riding over rough ground, often for fun

ratchet verb, ratchet (sth) up to increase, or make sth increase, repeatedly and by small amounts: Overuse of credit cards has ratcheted up consumer debt to unacceptable levels.

rat pack noun (BrE, disapproving) journalists and photographers who follow famous people around in a way which makes their lives unpleasant

reality check noun [usually sing.] (informal) an occasion when you are reminded of how things are in the real world, rather than how you would like things to be

red line noun an issue or a demand that one person or group refuses to change their opinion about during a disagreement or negotiations: The issue of sovereignty is a red line that cannot be crossed.

response time noun the length of time that a person or system takes to react to sth: The average response time to emergency calls was 9 minutes.

retail park noun (BrE) an area containing a group of large shops / stores, located outside a town,

retail therapy noun [U] (usually humorous) the act of going shopping and buying things in order to make yourself feel more cheerful: I was ready for a little retail therapy.

reverse engineering noun [U] the copying of another company's product after examining it carefully to find out how it is made

rightsize verb(business) to change the size of a company in order to reduce costs, especially by reducing the number of employees

ringtone noun the sound a telephone makes when sb is calling you. Ringtones are often short tunes, and the word is especially used to refer to the different sounds mobile phones / cellphones make when they ring.

rocket science noun [U], it's not rocket science (informal) used to emphasize that sth is easy to do or understand. SYN. brain surgery: Go on, you can do it. It's not exactly rocket science, is it?

SAD abbr. seasonal affective disorder

salami slicing noun [U] (informal) the act of removing sth gradually by small amounts at a time

salary man noun (especially in Japan) a white-collar worker (= one who works in an office)

same-sex adj. [only before noun] 1 of the same sex: The child's same-sex parent acts as a role model. 2 involving people of the same sex: a same-sex relationship

seasonal affective disorder noun [U] (abbr. SAD) a medical condition in which a person feels sad and tired during late autumn / fall and winter when there is not much light from the sun

sell-through noun [U, C] (business) the number of items of a particular product that a shop / store manages to sell to customers compared to the number it bought to sell: The average sell-through rate for these magazines is 35-38%.

shedload (BrE, informal) a large amount of sth, especially money: The project cost a shedload of money.This should save you shedloads.

shock jock noun (informal, especially NAmE) a disc jockey on a radio show who deliberately expresses opinions or uses language that many people find offensive

sick building syndrome noun [U] a condition that affects people who work in large offices, making them feel tired and causing headaches, sore eyes and breathing problems, thought to be caused by, for example, the lack of fresh air or by chemicals in the air

silver surfer noun (informal) an old person who spends a lot of time using the Internet

sim noun (informal) a computer or video game that simulates (= artificially creates the feeling of experiencing) an activity such as flying an aircraft or playing a sport

SIM card noun a plastic card inside a mobile phone / cellphone that stores personal information about the person using the phone (SIM is the abbreviation of 'subscriber identification module’)

skanky adj. (informal, especially NAmE) very unpleasant

skunk-works ( informal) a small laboratory or department of a large company used for doing new scientific research or developing new products

slap-head noun (BrE, informal) an unkind way of referring to a man with little or no hair on his head

snarf verb (informal, especially NAmE) to eat or drink sth very quickly or in a way that people think is greedy; The kids snarfed up all the cookies.

soccer mom noun (NAmE, informal) a mother who spends a lot of time taking her children to activities such as sports and music lessons, used as a way of referring to a typical mother from the middle classes

the species barrier noun [sing.] the natural system which is thought to prevent diseases spreading from one type of animal or plant to another

squeegee merchant noun (BrE, informal) a person who cleans the front windows of cars that have stopped in traffic and then asks the driver to pay them money, even if the driver did not want them to do it

stealth tax noun (BrE, disapproving) a new tax that is collected in way that is not very obvious, so people are less aware that they are paying it

sunset industry noun an old industry that has started to become less successful

team player noun a person who is good at working as a member of a team, usually in their job

Taser ™ noun a gun that fires darts that give a person a small electric shock and makes them unable to move for a short time

techie (also techy) noun (informal) a person who is expert in or enthusiastic about technology, especially computers

technobabble noun [U] (informal, disapproving) words or expressions connected with computers and technology that are difficult for ordinary people to understand

teleport verb (usually in science fiction) to move sb / sth immediately from one place to another a distance away, using special equipment; to be moved in this way: The search party was teleported down to the planet's surface. ► teleportation noun [U]

third way noun [sing.] a course of action or political policy that is between two extreme positions

trial balloon noun something that you say or do to find out what people think about a course of action before you take it

trip hop noun [U] a type of popular dance music, which is a mixture of hip hop and reggae, has a slow beat, and is intended to create a relaxed atmosphere

trophy wife noun (informal, disapproving) a young attractive woman who is married to an older man and thought of as a trophy (= sth that shows that you are successful and impresses other people)

tween (also tween ager) noun a child between the ages of about 10 and 12. SYN. pre-teen

ultimate fighting (also extreme fighting) noun [U] a sport that combines different styles of fighting such as boxing, wrestling and martial arts and in which there are not many rules

upload verb,noun, verb (computing) to move data to a larger computer system from a smaller оnе. OPP. download; noun (computing) data that has been moved to a larger computer system from a smaller one. OPP. download.

up time noun [U] the time during which a machine, especially a computer, is working. OPP. down time

wake-up call noun 1 a telephone call that you arrange to be made to you at a particular time, for example in a hotel, in order to wake you up: I asked for a wake-up call at 6.30 a.m. 2an event that makes people realize that there is a problem that they need to do sth about: These riots should be a wake-up call for the government.

webliography noun а list of websites or electronic works about a particular subject that have been used by a person writing an article, etc.: a Poe webliograph; a selected webliography on new Irish poetry

weblog noun a website that belongs to a particular person and where they write about things that interest them and list other websites that they think are interesting, see also blog

win-win adj. [onlybefore noun] (of a situation) in which there is a good result for each person or group involved: This is a win-win situation all around.

wrap-arounds noun [pl.] a pair of sunglasses that fit closely and curve round the sides of the head

zorbing noun [U] a sport in which sb is put inside a large transparent plastic ball which is then rolled along the ground or down hills

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