单词	mean
释义	mean1 verbmean2 adjectivemean3 noun meanmean1 /miːn/ ●●● S1 W1 verb [transitive] (past tense and past participle meant /ment/) Entry menu MENU FOR meanmean1 have a particular meaning2 intend to say something3 intend to do something4 result in something5 be familiar6 say something seriously7 how important somebody/something is8 show something is true/will happen9 what do you mean ...?10 say which person/thing11 I mean12 see what I mean?13 that’s what I mean14 I mean to say15 mean business16 be meant to do something17 be meant to be good/excellent/bad etc18 be meant for somebody/something19 be meant for somebody20 somebody was never meant for something/to be something21 something was meant to be/happen22 know/understand what it means to be something Word Origin WORD ORIGINmean1 Origin: Old English mænan Verb Table VERB TABLE mean Simple Form Present I, you, we, they mean he, she, it means Past I, you, he, she, it, we, they meant Present perfect I, you, we, they have meant he, she, it has meant Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had meant Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will mean Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have meant Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES "Downsizing" simply means that firms are tending to buy smaller computers to do jobs which used to require big ones. "Poultry" means chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese. A free economy does not mean the absence of any economic control. Cloudy water from the taps usually means problems with your storage tank. Dark clouds usually mean rain. Do you know what "ambidextrous" means? Does this mean I can't go to the wedding? Frank's surgery residency means staying in Albuquerque another five years. He said Sarah was a very close friend, but I'm not sure what he meant. Her car's not there, so that must mean she's gone to pick him up. High interest rates and high inflation mean a recession is not far away. His new responsibilities at work mean Leroy will rarely see his children. I mean it - I'll scream if you don't let me go. I meant that we would have to leave early, that's all. I meant what I said, I never want to see you again. If A is false, does that also mean proposition B is false? It says "not suitable for children", which means anyone under 16. Just because it's red doesn't mean it's cherry-flavored. Oh, you mean the blue shorts. She's kind of irritable, if you know what I mean. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS And I meant what I said about you at the start of this. Bush's tax cuts and the slowing economy mean that Pentagon policy choices will have to be made this year. In practice this means for men. It is much quicker, and it means the same, if we say Yes I do or Yes I think so. Similarly, some words which are meant to stir can leave others unmoved. Since the amount of information to be conveyed remains much the same this means that the signal-to-noise ratio will be worse. That was the point Henry Hyde meant to make about opinion polls. The strength of the pound means bikes are much cheaper to buy on the continent than over here. Thesaurus Longman Language Activatorto intend a particular meaning► mean to intend a particular meaning when you say something: · When you said "the editor", did you mean me?· He said Sarah was a very close friend, but I'm not sure what he meant.mean (that): · I meant that we would have to leave early, that's all.if you know what I mean (=used to show that you are saying something in a less extreme way than you really mean): · She's kind of irritable, if you know what I mean.what somebody means is that...: · So what he means is that we'll have to start the whole thing again.· What I meant was that I wouldn't have time to help, not that I didn't want to. determined to do something► determined if you are determined to do something, you have decided that you are definitely going to do it, and you will not let anything stop you: · There's no point in trying to stop her -- it'll only make her more determined.determined to do something: · I was determined to be a professional dancer, and practised for hours every day.· Both sides in the dispute seemed determined not to compromise.determined (that): · She was determined that her children should have the best possible education. ► be set on to be determined to do something, especially something important that will affect your whole life, even if other people think you should not do it: be set on (doing) something: · Nina seems to be set on marrying him.be dead set on something (=extremely determined to do something): · I didn't particularly want to go to Africa, but Bob was dead set on the idea. ► set your mind on if you set your mind on something, you decide that that is what you definitely want to do or have, especially something that you will have to work hard to achieve: set your mind on (doing) something: · Once Tammy's set her mind on something, she doesn't rest until she's done it.· She's set her mind on having a big posh wedding. ► be intent on to be determined to do something, especially something that other people do not approve of or think you should do: · Michael left school at fifteen, intent on a career in showbusiness.be intent on (doing) something: · He's always seems intent on stirring up trouble among his colleagues. ► adamant determined not to change your opinion or decision, especially when other people are trying to persuade you to change it: · The man in the shop was adamant. "Definitely not," he said.adamant that: · Taylor was adamant that she was not going to quit.be adamant in your belief/refusal/own mind: · Nicolson was always adamant in his belief that his films did not encourage drug-taking.adamant about: · To this day, Matthews is adamant about his innocence. ► purposefully in a way that shows that you are determined to do something: · She strode purposefully up to the door and rang the bell loudly. ► be resolved formal to be determined to do something because you are sure that it is the right thing to do: be resolved to do something: · The new President is resolved to impose a number of reforms.be resolved that: · Our city authorities are resolved that the new school will be built within six months. ► mean business to be determined to do something and show other people that you are determined to do it, even if it involves harming someone: · And to prove we mean business, our members will stage a one-day strike next week.· Firm action would show both sides that the EU and the UN really meant business. ► play hardball American informal to be very determined to get what you want, especially in business or politics: · Toymaker Mattel is getting ready to play hardball in an effort to persuade Hasbro to reconsider a merger.play hardball with: · The Deputy Prime Minister told reporters that Canada was ready to play hardball with the US. ► tenacious refusing to stop trying to do something even though the situation is difficult or people are opposing you: · As a reporter, David was tougher and more tenacious than the other three.· He was the most tenacious politician in South Korea. what you say when you are going to explain something► (you) see spoken say this when you are explaining something to someone, and you want to check that they are listening and that they understand you: · This fits on here, see, where the arrow is.· Simon's car broke down, you see, and neither of us knew how to fix it. ► I mean spoken say this when you are explaining something you have said or giving an example of something: · Ted seems kind of lazy. I mean, he never offers to help and he just lies in front of the TV.what I mean (to say) is: · I'm afraid I can't help you. What I mean is that I'm not a detective, and I don't solve crimes. ► in other words use this when you are saying something in a different way in order to explain it more clearly: · What we need is a more sustainable transport system, in other words, more buses and trains, and fewer cars.· This is supposed to be a democracy - in other words, one person one vote. ► the thing is spoken use this when you are explaining a problem or the reason for something: · I really don't want to leave yet. The thing is, I have an appointment in 15 minutes.· I do have a computer, but the thing is, it's really old and I can't use it for email. ► that is use this to explain the meaning of the previous word or phrase by giving more information about it: · The fare is reduced for children, that is, anyone under 15 years old.· All documents are printed in the two official languages - that is, English and French. ► let me explain spoken say this when you want to explain something to someone because you think they have not understood: · I can see you're getting confused. Let me explain.· I know the plan seems a little crazy at first, but it's really not. Let me explain. ► to put it another way used when you have explained something in one way and you are going to try to make it clearer by explaining it in a different way: · Money makes money. To put it another way, the more you invest, the greater your potential profit will be.· The problem demands a global solution. To put it another way, local regulations will have very little effect. ► put it like this/put it this way spoken say this when someone is not sure what you mean and you are going to try to explain in a way that will help them to understand, especially by saying something humorous or direct: · "Does he get many dates?" "Put it like this - you don't have to feel sorry for him."· Put it this way, honey - what the boss doesn't know isn't going to bother him. ► let me rephrase that spoken used when you are going to use different words to say something again, because you have just said it in an unsuitable way and it may not have been understood correctly: · I'm sorry, let me rephrase that. That wasn't what I meant to say at all.· Most of the people there were incredibly old. Let me rephrase that - we were the youngest couple there. someone or something that you care a lot about► important if something is important to you, you care a lot about it, and it has an important influence on the way you think and behave: · Which is more important to you - your family or your career?be important to somebody: · While I was a student, my parents' support and encouragement were very important to me.the important thing (=the only important thing): · At least the children are safe - that's the important thing. ► care if you care about something or someone, you think they are important and you pay attention to them, consider their feelings etc: · Thousands are dying from disease and starvation and yet no one seems to care.care about: · Of course I care about the homeless and the unemployed, but what can I do?care what/who etc: · We make a range of natural, additive-free foods for people who really care what they eat. ► mean a lot to especially spoken if someone or something means a lot to you, you care about them or think about them a lot, and your happiness depends on them: · You mustn't discourage her - this job means a lot to her.mean everything to somebody (=to be more important than anything else): · Karen trained day and night - winning the gold medal meant everything to her. ► be somebody's whole life if something or someone is your whole life , they are so important to you that life would seem to have no meaning without them and you would be very unhappy: · I could never consider another career -- making films is my whole life.· Paul loves you very much. You are his whole life. ► live for if you live for something or someone, they are the most important or enjoyable thing in your life: · Margot lived for ballet and was completely dedicated.· Bob lives for just two things -- his daughters and his music. ► be/mean (all) the world to especially British if someone is or means (all) the world to you, they are more important to you than anyone else because you love them so much: · My son means all the world to me. If anything happened to him I'd never forgive myself. ► the be all and end all the thing that someone considers to be the most important thing in their life - use this when you think that they are wrong to think that it is the most important thing: · Going to university isn't the be all and end all, you know. to intend to do something► intend to do something if you intend to do something, you have decided that you want to do it at some time in the future: · I wasn't sure why he'd done it, but I intended to find out.· Most of these students intend to continue their education at university.· Her lawyers stated that they intended to call at least five witnesses. ► mean to do something especially spoken to intend to do something - use this especially when you forget to do something or did not have the chance to do it: · I've been meaning to phone Anne for ages.· I meant to tell you, but I forgot.· Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. ► be going to do something especially spoken if you are going to do something, you have arranged to do it at a particular time - use this to talk about definite arrangements: · Ruth and Al are going to move to Seattle.· I'm going to go to the hospital tomorrow.· The committee is going to have several meetings to get student input. ► plan to do something to intend to do something - use this especially when you have thought carefully about when and how you will do something: · Josie's planning to return to work after she's had the baby.· We're planning to go on vacation in October.· The Board plans to release the report to the press on Sept. 11. ► be looking to do something informal to intend to achieve something that you are sure you can achieve: · The company is looking to increase its sales in Europe during the next two years.· The Redskins will be looking to repeat their Super Bowl victory next season. ► set out to do something to decide to do something and make plans for how you will achieve it, especially in a very determined way: · He set out to make Newcastle the best football team in the country.· The new administration set out to develop a better immigration policy. ► be out to do something informal to intend to do something and be determined to succeed: · A young man from Norway is out to be the youngest person ever to finish the race.· Manchester United are out to win the European Cup this year.be out to get somebody (=to intend to do something that harms someone else): · Brock believes that Aaronson is out to ruin his reputation. ► it is somebody's intention to do something formal use this in public statements, news reports, meetings etc in order to tell people what someone intends to do: · It is our intention to become the number one distributor of health products in the UK.· It was never the department's intention to prevent teachers from trying out new ideas. ► with intent to do something use this especially in legal contexts about someone who deliberately intends to do something bad: do something with intent to do something: · Kelly was accused of carrying a deadly weapon with intent to endanger life.· He is charged with using a false name with intent to commit fraud. intending to be helpful or kind, but causing problems► mean well to try to be helpful or kind, but really only cause problems for someone or annoy them: · The doctor meant well, but he was not really listening to me.· She means well, but she's a bit tactless. ► well-meaning intending to be helpful, but not able to achieve anything useful: · Well-meaning relatives gave me all kinds of advice.· Even well-meaning parents cannot protect their children from everything. ► good intentions if you have good intentions , you think of doing something helpful or kind, but often never do it: · Good intentions are not enough. Make an exercise programme for yourself and keep to it.· The department's good intentions have been buried under a mountain of rules and paperwork. ► well-meant/well-intentioned an action or a statement that is well-meant or well-intentioned is intended to be kind or helpful, but either does not help at all, insults someone, or causes harm: · Recent changes in housing policy, though well-meant, have done more harm than good.· Well-intentioned grandparents sometimes interfere with a mother's way of bringing up her children. to have a particular meaning► mean to have a particular meaning - use this about words, signs, or statements: · What does "abandon" mean?· "Poultry" means chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese.· It says "not suitable for children", which means anyone under 16.mean (that): · The flashing light means we're running out of gas.· "Downsizing" simply means that firms are tending to buy smaller computers to do jobs which used to require big ones.what is meant by something: · What is meant by the term "random access"? ► stand for if a letter or group of letters stands for a word, name, or number, it is a short way of saying or writing it: · NATO stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization.· What does the F in John F. Kennedy stand for? ► represent if a shape, letter, object etc represents something, it is used as a sign for that thing in a map, plan, calculation etc: · The red lines on the map represent railways.· Single letters or combinations of letters represent different phonetic sounds. ► symbolize also symbolise British if something such as an object or animal symbolizes an idea or quality, it is used as a sign to mean that idea or quality, especially in a story, a ceremony, or a particular society: · The lion symbolizes strength, the lamb symbolizes gentleness.· In Europe, the colour white symbolizes purity but in Asia it is often the symbol of deep mourning.· Cowardice is symbolized in the painting by the white feathers on the soldier's coat. ► denote if a word or number denotes something, it means it in a very exact sense - used especially in technical contexts: · The dotted line on the graph denotes profits.· The English word "family" used to denote all the people in the house, including servants.· The quantity denoted by the letter E varies from experiment to experiment. ► connote if a word connotes something, it makes you think of feelings and ideas that are not its actual meaning: · The word "jolly" often connotes that someone is fat. to really mean what you say► be serious to really mean what you say or really intend to do something: · Do you think she was serious when she said she used to be an actress?· Listen! I'm serious! I'm not lending you any more money!be serious about: · Tina's quite intelligent, but she's not really serious about her schoolwork.serious about doing something: · I hope Jeff's serious about giving up smoking.get serious about something (=start dealing with a problem in a determined way): · Car manufacturers should get serious about making security a design priority.deadly serious (=extremely serious): · Her voice suddenly sounded deadly serious.be perfectly/absolutely serious (=be serious in a situation where it is hard to believe that someone could be): · "Look!" he said, "I am perfectly serious. I'm willing to give you $10,000 for your land." ► mean if someone means what they say, they are being serious when they say it, and they are not pretending or lying: mean it especially spoken: · I mean it - I'll scream if you don't let me go.· She told me she loved me - but I wasn't sure if she meant it.mean what you say: · I meant what I said, I never want to see you again. ► not joking if you say you are not joking , you really mean what you say, even though it seems surprising or unlikely: · There must be about 10 of them in that car - I'm not joking.· She told him she'd call the police if he bothered her again, and she wasn't joking. ► seriously if you say or do something seriously , you really mean it, really intend to do it, or really think it is important: · Are you seriously suggesting that she should give up her job in order to look after her husband?seriously intend/want/attempt etc to do something: · Those who seriously attempt to kill themselves usually manage to do so.seriously concerned/interested/worried etc: · She was talking about children's social education at a time when no one else was seriously concerned with it. ► mean business spoken if someone means business , it is very clear that they will definitely do what they say or what they are threatening to do: · The man had a gun. It was obvious he meant business. ► be in earnest if someone is in earnest , they really mean what they say, especially when they are saying what they want or what they intend to do: · I'm sure he was in earnest when he said he wanted to marry her.be very much in earnest: · She spoke lightly, but it was obvious that she was very much in earnest. when something shows that something else is true► show to prove that something is true: · Her nervousness is shown by a tendency to laugh a lot in public.show (somebody) how/what/why etc: · It cost $5000 to repair the car -- that shows how bad the damage was!· It shows you what they think of their customers, if they can't even be bothered to answer your letter!show something/somebody to do something: · Caffeine has been shown to have a good effect on mental performance.show (that): · The evidence shows that this area was probably the site of a Roman settlement.· The polls clearly show that the voters are dissatisfied with the present government.it (just) goes to show (=use to emphasize that something proves that what you are saying is true): · It just goes to show that we can all learn from experience, whether we're 8 or 80. ► be a sign if an event or action is a sign of something else, it is one of the things that shows that something is probably true: be a sign of: · The public opposition to the airport is a sign of how much people's attitudes have changed.· A cluttered desk is a sign of a creative mind.be a sign that: · When a dog wags his tail, it's a sign that he's happy.be a sure/clear sign: · My mother pursed her lips, a sure sign of displeasure.take/view/see something as a sign that (=decide that it shows something): · When she didn't return my calls, I took it as a sign that she just wasn't interested. ► demonstrate formal to show very clearly that something is true - use this especially in official or technical contexts: · His commitment to the company is demonstrated by his work on the project.demonstrate how/why/whether etc: · Here are some examples that demonstrate how badly some students write their resumés.· The assessment center gives each applicant the opportunity to demonstrate whether they are suited to the work.demonstrate that: · I'm afraid this whole episode demonstrates that we have become less compassionate as a society. demonstrate (something) to somebody: · You've got to be able to demonstrate to people that the union can help in these cases. ► mean if an event or action means something, you can guess from it that something has happened or is true: · Cloudy water from the taps usually means problems with your storage tank.· A free economy does not mean the absence of any economic control. mean (that): · This sort of behaviour means that the child is definitely unhappy.· If A is false, does that also mean proposition B is false?must mean: · Her car's not there, so that must mean she's gone to pick him up. ► make clear to show very clearly that something is true: make it clear (that): · This new evidence makes it clear that Rourke was acting independently of the others.make it clear what/why/how etc: · The look in her eyes made it clear what she meant.make clear something: · The Unabomber's diary makes clear his loathing and contempt for society. ► reflect if something reflects a situation or fact, it is a result of that situation or fact and shows clearly that the situation or fact exists: · The three-year guarantee reflects the company's confidence in the quality of its products.· His fair, freckled skin and blue eyes reflect his Irish heritage.· This poll reflects what the Republicans of California are sensing. be reflected in: · The culture of a nation is always reflected in its language. ► illustrate to be an example which shows that a fact is true or that a situation exists: · As this story illustrates, some stars have become as bored as audiences by Hollywood extravagance.· This point can be illustrated by two brief examples.illustrate how/why/what: · The experiment illustrates how careful you have to be when interpreting results. ► tell if a situation, detail etc tells you something, it helps you to know, understand, or guess more about something: · What does this tell us about the experience of young immigrants to this country?tell somebody how many/much etc: · Unfortunately, the photographs can tell us very little about the potential for life on Mars.tell somebody that: · The research told us that many drug addicts were returning to heroin up to three years after the treatment. ► be evidence if a situation, detail, fact is evidence of a general situation, attitude, type of behaviour etc, it shows that it exists: be evidence of: · Changes in sexual laws in recent years are evidence of a gradual movement towards greater tolerance.be evidence that: · Journalists argue that being attacked by both sides is evidence that their coverage is fair.· This is clear evidence that the crime figures do not represent the true situation. ► reveal to show something that most people did not know or realize is true: · The way he spoke in the bar afterwards revealed prejudice and bitterness that I had never suspected.· Separate holidays and weekends apart reveal more clearly than any words the state of their marriage.reveal how/why/what etc: · The President's refusal to meet the press reveals just how serious the crisis is.· Positive tests have revealed why some athletes were so reluctant to co-operate.reveal that: · The fact that there are no black officers in the entire regiment reveals that the army is not serious about its anti-discrimination policies. to show that something is going to happen► mean to be a sign that something is very likely to happen: · Dark clouds usually mean rain.mean (that): · High interest rates and high inflation mean a recession is not far away.· His new responsibilities at work mean Leroy will rarely see his children.take something to mean (that) (=believe that something is a sign of something): · Stein took off his glasses and rested his head on the back of the chair. I took this to mean that he wasn't going to say any more. ► spell if a situation or action spells trouble, problems etc, it makes you expect that something bad will happen, because there are clear signs that it will: · No one thinks this could spell the closure of the firm, but things could be better.· Out-of-town retail developments often spell the death of independent high street shops. ► bode well/ill formal to be a sign that something good or bad is likely to happen in the future: · Gandalf's late arrival did not bode well.bode well/ill for: · The drop in profits bodes ill for Japan's semiconductor industry.· The high early viewing figures bode well for writers Lane and Harvey, who hope to achieve network success. ► herald to be a sign that something is going to happen soon, especially something important - used especially in literature or newspapers: · In February, the first storks arrive, heralding spring.· What changes do the attacks herald for everyday life in the US?· His prosecution perhaps heralds an end to the systematic corruption that has stained this government's reputation.herald something as: · Taxol has been heralded as a breakthrough in cancer treatment. to understand the meaning of something in a particular way► make of to believe that something strange, difficult, or unusual has a particular meaning: · Have you read Dawson's letter? What do you make of it?· Tom could see that McCarron didn't know what to make of the information. ► read to think that a remark, an action, an event etc shows that someone has a particular opinion or feeling even though they do not say this directly: · Good managers are usually able to read a situation quickly and take the right action.read something as something: · Men shouldn't be surprised if women read this behaviour as threatening. ► take something to mean to choose to understand a particular meaning in someone's words or actions without being sure that this is the correct meaning: · There was a pause, which he took to mean she was angry.· Television producers should not take low ratings to mean failure. ► see something as to understand a remark, a piece of writing, an event etc as having a particular meaning, especially because of your own feelings, opinions, or situation: · I see this poem as an attack on social injustice.· Young children often see the birth of a new brother or sister as a great threat. ► interpret to choose to understand a piece of information or group of facts in one of several possible ways: · Fairy tales can be interpreted in several different ways.interpret something as something: · The statement was interpreted as a threat against the United States. ► understand by to find a particular meaning in an expression or in the name of something, even though other people may understand it differently: · What do you understand by the term "alternative medicine"?· He spoke of profits, by which I understood profits for his company, not for us. ► understand something/somebody to mean to think that someone's remarks, a word, a piece of writing etc means something or has a particular message, even though this is not stated directly: · "It's very good. You'll like it," their mother said, and gave them a look that they understood to mean they must eat it whether they liked it or not. ► construe something as formal to understand a remark or action in a particular way, when there are other possible ways of understanding it: · Such activities by the Americans could be construed as an act of war.· Films that could be construed as offensive are shown after nine o'clock. Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► What does ... mean  What does ‘patronizing’ mean? ► what is meant by  The report fails to define what is meant by the term ‘key issues’. ► what ... means  It’s pretty obvious what she means. ► (do) you mean spoken (=used to check you have understood what someone intended to say) Do you mean you’ve changed or Chris has changed? ► do/if you know/see what I mean? spoken (=used to check that someone understands you) I want to buy her something really special, if you know what I mean. We’re still married but living apart in the same house, if you see what I mean. ► I see what you mean  Oh yeah! I see what you mean (=I understand what you are trying to say). ► What I mean is  What I mean is, I don’t feel alone anymore (=used to explain more about what you have said). ► I know what you mean  ‘I didn’t really like him.’ 'I know what you mean, I didn’t get on with him either (=used to say you understand and have had the same experience). ► How do you mean  ‘In three hours’ time, I’ll be a free man.‘ ’How do you mean (=used to ask someone to explain what they have just said)?' ► didn’t mean it  I’m sure she didn’t mean it (=she did not intend to upset or hurt someone). ► mean no harm/offence/disrespect (=not intend to harm, offend etc someone) I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm. ► means well  He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that). ► meant it for the best  I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect). ► meant nothing to  He said his name was ‘Randall’ but it meant nothing to me (=I was not familiar with it). ► Does ... mean anything to  Does the name Bryce mean anything to you? ► mean something to  You need to use analogies which will mean something to the reader. ► mean it  With children, if you say ‘no’, you have to mean it. ► meant what ... said  I meant what I said earlier. ► really mean  You don’t really mean that, do you? ► meant a lot to  The medal meant a lot to him. ► mean the world to somebody/mean everything to somebody (=be very important to someone) He meant the world to her. ► meant nothing  Time meant nothing (=it was not important) to me while I was travelling. ► meant something  Of course the relationship meant something to me. COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be no mean achievement (=be difficult to achieve and therefore worth admiring)· He got the top mark in the country which is no mean achievement. ► arithmetic mean  the arithmetic mean (=average) ► something is by no means certain (=not definite)· Victory was by no means certain for Smith. ► be far from clear/be by no means clear (=be very unclear)· The directions she gave me were far from clear. ► a means of communication (=a way of exchanging information)· There were no roads and no means of communication with the people in the mountains. ► mean something as a compliment · When I said she’d lost weight, I meant it as a compliment. ► devise a means (=think of a way)· We must devise a means of transport that does not pollute the atmosphere. ► meant no disrespect  It was said on the spur of the moment and I meant no disrespect to anybody. ► an effective means · Is reducing the speed limit an effective means of reducing accidents? ► an efficient means · The tram is a very efficient means of transport. ► the end justifies the means (=used to say that something bad is acceptable, if it achieves a good result)· Their defence, that the end justifies the means, is not acceptable. ► a means to an end (=a way of achieving what you want)· To Joe, work was a means to an end, nothing more. ► a means of escape (=a way of escaping)· She searched in vain for a means of escape. ► a means of escape (=a way of forgetting about a bad situation)· Drugs and alcohol are their only means of escape. ► a means of expression · Art is not just a means of expression, it is also a means of communication. ► no mean feat (=something that is difficult to do) It is no mean feat to perform such a difficult piece. ► means of identification  fingerprinting as a means of identification ► (do you) know what I mean? (=used to ask if someone understands or has the same feeling as you) It’s nice to have a change sometimes. Know what I mean? ► if you know what I mean  Sometimes it’s better not to ask too many questions, if you know what I mean. ► I know what you mean  ‘I just felt so tired.’ ‘Yeah, I know what you mean.’ (=I understand, because I have had the same experience) ► mean ... literally  I said I felt like quitting, but I didn’t mean it literally (=I did not mean exactly what I said)! ► a means/source of livelihood  Fishing is the main source of livelihood for many people in the area. ► meant nothing  Politics meant nothing (=was not important) to me for years. ► by/through peaceful means · We must redistribute power in this country by peaceful means. ► means of propulsion  research into liquid hydrogen as a means of propulsion ► mean something by a remark · What did you mean by that remark? ► mean ruin (=cause ruin for someone)· They fear that the proposals could mean ruin for small football clubs. ► see what ... mean  I see what you mean (=I understand what you are saying). ► a means/mode/form of transport · Horses and carts were the only means of transport. ► means/mode/form of transportation  People need to get out of their cars and use other modes of transportation. ► a form/mode/method/means of travel · I find the train a more comfortable mode of travel. ► mean/spell trouble (=mean there will be trouble)· They are now much more competitive, which can only spell trouble for their rivals. ► turn nasty/mean/violent etc (=suddenly become angry, violent etc) The police are worried that the situation could turn violent. ► ways and means · We are discussing ways and means of bringing jobs to our area. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► also · That would also mean better career prospects for women, more of whom work lower down the academic ladder.· It would also mean that viewers, their trigger fingers on the clicker, would have trouble avoiding the candidates.· Making full use of the shape information may also mean coding the lexicon by shape for ease of search.· Trading Miller also means the Sharks dumped another big salary.· Greater food production also means improved incomes for farmers.· That also means gas stations also will lose some sales.· It also means you can send Web pages by email.· But, in addition, it has also meant some surrender of authority to Washington. ► really · Anna hadn't really meant here, but she felt she'd better not say anything.· Without really meaning to, Chuck proves her right in seven comical episodes.· That sounds like motherhood and apple pie until we examine what full employment really means.· Passion goes a long way in movies; it helps if you really mean it.· This really means cutting in angled sweeps, allowing the double blade to cut on the forward and return arc.· How far away that really means.· What it really means is that the new trams are a hybrid between street car and lightweight suburban train.· Schwarz and Volgy question what it really means to live on the economy budget. NOUN► lot · This does not necessarily mean paying out a lot of money for several totally new changes of clothes.· He always had a joke, of course, and his visits certainly meant a lot to the staff.· Selling twelve bags to every gram means a lot of footwork.· Two big things happened that meant a lot to me.· It actually meant quite a lot to me to score a goal past the number-one goalkeeper.· She means a lot to me.· But in an emergency, says Mr Aho, that means a lot of people go hungry.· I mean, a lot of times people like to work by themselves. ► word · The starting point is to discover what words mean.· Now the words have a fuller meaning.· You needed a word that meant both ones.· Synonymy is a relation that structures the lexicon of a language into sets of words sharing a meaning.· Masculine, feminine and neuter are labels for formal properties and have nothing to do with what a word actually means.· Such lexical chains need not necessarily consist of words which mean the same, however.· Nothing as haphazard as words, whose meaning and nuance shift enigmatically from one slippery slope to another. VERB► know · We know she means what she says.· When I wear something, it has to impress me, know what I mean?· Looking for family-right, Aunt Marie, I know what you mean.· Some were struggling behind-but they did not really know the meaning of struggling.· But I knew what he meant.· She knows what it means now.· I did not quite know what they meant but I took it as a compliment. ► suppose · It was all motion, always moving ... so I suppose that must mean I didn't stop; not really.· Democracy is not supposed to mean a nation of suckers.· Now what was that supposed to mean?· I suppose it was meant to make people feel they were living in a good place.· I suppose she meant if she put me on the Pill she was letting me sleep around.· I supposed it was meant ironically but I was too weary to care.· I suppose that this means that this month's parish magazine should be a special holiday edition.· I suppose you mean an all-consuming I-will-do-anything-for-you passion? ► understand · Wistfully, William Wordsworth wrote: en and everyone understood what the poet meant.· President Clinton understood what this meant for developing countries yet did nothing about it.· He understood what it meant to the living left behind.· Before the managers could begin to understand what providing leadership meant, they had to grasp these fundamental ideas.· But very soon he got used to these things and learnt to understand what they meant.· Sandi looks at Yolanda; she understood whom Yolanda meant. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► what do you mean ...?► I mean I'm afraid I can't help you. What I mean is that I'm not a detective, and I don't solve crimes. I mean, he was nice and everything, but I just didn't find him attractive. I just bought some apricots, no, I mean peaches. My father was a heavy drinker, I mean, he used to drink a quart of scotch a day. Ted seems kind of lazy. I mean, he never offers to help and he just lies in front of the TV. I was never a political animal. I mean the Journalists had that sort of job to do. I, I mean I need it. If there is a next time I mean to win. So she said OEAll right, sir. I mean Charles. Very few people have a career of great longevity, constancy and consistency in films. I mean a real career. What is she, I mean, she knows it turns me on. ► see what I mean? See what I mean, Dad, about this camera being difficult to use? And little enough for cleverness, if you see what I mean. BBut you see what I mean. Do you see what I mean, he was trying? He had this manner, as if he was a bit above the rest of us, if you see what I mean. He just has the feelings, if you see what I mean. I think you will see what I mean only after tasting this bread. You see what I mean about having to keep up with things. You see what I mean when I say it's nothing new, it's been endlessly talked around. ► that’s what I mean "You've got to think about later on in life, too." "That's what I mean. It's getting closer." And that's what I mean about friends. But that's what I meant about technology having caught you up. I deny I get long holidays, that's what I mean. I think that's what I mean. ► I mean to say Good ... Dorothy, I meant to say on Sunday how wonderful the flowers looked. Really, I mean to say, Stevens. Well the first main stop light you hit I guess is what I mean to say. Well, I mean to say, I've got total admiration for the way you chaps work. ► mean business But as the oil men realised that we meant business, seizures began to drop. But when it bites, it means business. For one local company it's meant business taking off like a rocket. One of the quintet not only means business but high-minded, selfless business. They looked as though they meant business. This does not necessarily mean businesses must avoid all such one-of-a-kinds whatever their nature. Those boys knew we meant business. Zhou had discarded his usual severe tunic for a gray Western business suit, and he meant business. ► be meant to do something Christmas time is meant to bring people together. Jenny is convinced she was meant to stay with Zev. By the time it was finished, the workings had gone lower than the levels it was meant to drain. Designed by Robert Von Hagge, it was meant to be hard. Like it was meant to look an accident. The new program is meant to put young people in the retail and hospitality industries on a fast-track to management careers. The party was meant to have been a thank-you to the casino staff from the management. The suit is meant to head off a legal attack against it by Apple which Quorum believes is in the works. They are gifts fit for a king, and so they are meant to be. This is the way movie comedies were meant to be: one laugh rolling in just as the last one rolls out. ► be meant to be good/excellent/bad etc► be meant for somebody/something I think this fork is meant for barbecuing. From the moment that they were introduced it was plain that they were meant for one another. His friend got bitten by a snake that was meant for Ray. Innocent's building at the Vatican was fortified with towers and an encircling wall and was meant for longer residence. Like illusionistic painting in general, this technique of mosaic was meant for the distant view. Nina got up and smiled a smile that was meant for no-one. The only fan in Motherhouse is in the parlour and is meant for visitors. Then this ad is meant for you. Wisteria branches, for example, eventually grow to tree-size width and are meant for the sturdiest pergolas and arbors. ► be meant for somebody From the moment that they were introduced it was plain that they were meant for one another. His friend got bitten by a snake that was meant for Ray. Innocent's building at the Vatican was fortified with towers and an encircling wall and was meant for longer residence. Like illusionistic painting in general, this technique of mosaic was meant for the distant view. Nina got up and smiled a smile that was meant for no-one. The only fan in Motherhouse is in the parlour and is meant for visitors. Then this ad is meant for you. Wisteria branches, for example, eventually grow to tree-size width and are meant for the sturdiest pergolas and arbors. ► somebody was never meant for something/to be something► something was meant to be/happen Designed by Robert Von Hagge, it was meant to be hard. Imprinted with cell bars, the first Tricky Envelope was meant to be festooned with the Richard Nixon stamp. It was meant to be some kind of joke. Our protest was meant to be purely symbolic. Perhaps it's because none of this was meant to happen. She was meant to be illustrating a new book for children, a fantasy story by a well-known author. Technically he was meant to be in bed. The fit crew was meant to be Merrill Lynch. ► know/understand what it means to be something If you are overweight, then you know what it means to be in emotional pain. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► mean business And to prove we mean business, our members will stage a one-day strike next week. Firm action would show both sides that the EU and the UN really meant business. The man had a gun. It was obvious he meant business. But as the oil men realised that we meant business, seizures began to drop. But when it bites, it means business. For one local company it's meant business taking off like a rocket. One of the quintet not only means business but high-minded, selfless business. They looked as though they meant business. This does not necessarily mean businesses must avoid all such one-of-a-kinds whatever their nature. Those boys knew we meant business. Zhou had discarded his usual severe tunic for a gray Western business suit, and he meant business. ► not know/mean diddly Bradley doesn't know diddly about running his own business. ► be/mean everything (to somebody) Walt's family means everything to him. Beckwith meant everything to him, she'd recognized that from the first. Does that mean everything deserves a Nobel Prize? It meant everything to her to be able to play her senior year. On the other hand, a word can not mean everything and something at the same time. She needed to be everything she could be and London would provide for that. Timing can be everything, even in rocket science. Well, that seems to be everything so far as tomorrow is concerned. ► by fair means or foul► mean no harm/not mean any harm► how do you mean? Straight? How do you mean, straight? And now, how do you mean translated? ► woman/man etc of independent means► just because ... it doesn’t mean► not by any manner of means You know, it isn't all sweetness and light here, not by any manner of means. ► what’s that supposed to mean? "It sounds like things aren't going too well for you lately." "What's that supposed to mean?" ► a dirty/rotten/mean trick Bomb threats and other dirty tricks kept many voters at home. ► understand something to be/mean something We understood his lack of response to mean "no." Accent, tone, fluency and vocabulary can affect the ability of sender and receiver to understand or to be understood. After a while-it seemed like an eternity-Philip usually acknowledged that he understood what needed to be accomplished. Barmy anyway, which is what I understand you to mean. Hicks understood it to mean Those Who Are. Homosexuals have as much right to be understood, to be treated with compassionate love as the rest of us. Isabel had always understood Faith to mean that she should have it. Must you really understand duration to be a savvy investor? To understand is to be betrayed. ► this means war► mean the world to somebody/think the world of somebody Word family WORD FAMILYadjectivemeaningfulmeaninglessnounmeaningverbmeanadverbmeaningfully 1have a particular meaning to have or represent a particular meaning:  What does ‘patronizing’ mean? The red light means ‘Stop’. The report fails to define what is meant by the term ‘key issues’.mean (that) This light means you’re running low on fuel.RegisterIn written English, people often prefer to say that something indicates something is the case, rather than using mean:· The light indicates that fuel supplies are low.2intend to say something to intend a particular meaning when you say somethingmean (that) I meant we’d have to leave early – that’s all. It’s pretty obvious what she means.(do) you mean spoken (=used to check you have understood what someone intended to say) Do you mean you’ve changed or Chris has changed?do/if you know/see what I mean? spoken (=used to check that someone understands you) I want to buy her something really special, if you know what I mean. We’re still married but living apart in the same house, if you see what I mean. Oh yeah! I see what you mean (=I understand what you are trying to say). What I mean is, I don’t feel alone anymore (=used to explain more about what you have said). ‘I didn’t really like him.’ 'I know what you mean, I didn’t get on with him either (=used to say you understand and have had the same experience). ‘In three hours’ time, I’ll be a free man.‘ ’How do you mean (=used to ask someone to explain what they have just said)?'3intend to do something to intend to do something or intend that someone else should do somethingmean to do something I’ve been meaning to ask you if you want to come for a meal next week. I didn’t mean to upset you.mean somebody/something to do something I didn’t mean this to happen at all. I never meant you to find out.mean for somebody to do something especially American English I didn’t mean for her to get hurt. I’m sure she didn’t mean it (=she did not intend to upset or hurt someone).mean no harm/offence/disrespect (=not intend to harm, offend etc someone) I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm. He may sound a bit rude at times, but he means well (=intends to be helpful or kind, even if it does not seem like that). I wasn’t criticizing you, I really meant it for the best (=wanted to be helpful, although my actions had the wrong effect).4result in something to have a particular result or involve something:  The merger will mean the closure of the company’s Sydney office. Don’t let him see you. It will only mean trouble.mean (that) The high cost of housing means that many young people can’t afford to buy a house.mean doing something My new job will mean travelling all over the world. Dieting also means being careful about which foods you buy.5be familiar if a name, word etc means something to you, you are familiar with it or you understand it:  He said his name was ‘Randall’ but it meant nothing to me (=I was not familiar with it). Does the name Bryce mean anything to you? You need to use analogies which will mean something to the reader.6say something seriously to be serious about what you are saying or writing:  With children, if you say ‘no’, you have to mean it. I meant what I said earlier. You don’t really mean that, do you?7how important somebody/something is used for saying how important someone or something is to youmean something to somebody I know how much your work means to you. The medal meant a lot to him.mean the world to somebody/mean everything to somebody (=be very important to someone) He meant the world to her. Time meant nothing (=it was not important) to me while I was travelling. Of course the relationship meant something to me.8show something is true/will happen to be a sign that something is true or will happenmean (that) Finding a lump does not necessarily mean you have cancer. Clear skies mean that it will be a cold night. Just because he’s been in prison, it doesn’t mean that he’s violent.SPOKEN PHRASES9what do you mean ...? a)used when you do not understand what someone is trying to say:  ‘You’ll be careful won’t you?’ ‘What do you mean?’ b)used when you are very surprised or annoyed by what someone has just said:  What do you mean, you’ve cancelled the trip? What do you mean by that? c)used when you are very annoyed by what someone has just done:  What do you mean by calling me at this time of night?10say which person/thing used to say that a particular person or thing is the one that you are talking about, pointing to etc:  ‘Hey you!’ ‘Do you mean me?’ I meant the pink dress, not the red one.11I mean a)used when explaining or giving an example of something, or when pausing to think about what you are going to say next:  You’re more of an expert than me. I mean, you’ve got all that experience. It’s just not right. I mean, it’s unfair isn’t it? b)used to quickly correct something you have just said:  She plays the violin, I mean the viola, really well.12 see what I mean? used when something that happens proves what you said before:  See what I mean? Every time she calls me up she wants me to do something for her.13that’s what I mean used when someone is saying the same thing that you were trying to say earlier:  ‘We might not have enough money.’ ‘That’s what I mean, so we’d better find out the price first.’14I mean to say used when adding a reason or explanation for something you have just said, especially something you feel strongly about:  Of course she wants to see the children – I mean to say, it’s only natural isn’t it?15mean business to be determined to do something:  This decision shows the public that we mean business.16be meant to do something a)if you are meant to do something, you should do it, especially because someone has told you to or because you are responsible for it:  Come on, Ellen, you’re meant to be helping me. I thought the police were meant to protect people. b)to be intended to do something:  The diagram is meant to show the different stages of the process.17be meant to be good/excellent/bad etc used to say that you have heard or read that something is good, bad etc:  The play is meant to be really good.18be meant for somebody/something to be intended for a particular person or purpose:  a book meant for children19be meant for somebody if two people are meant for each other, they are very suitable as partners for each other:  They were meant for each other. She’s meant for him.20somebody was never meant for something/to be something used to say that someone is not at all suitable for a particular job or activity:  I was never meant for the army.21something was meant to be/happen used to say that you think a situation was certain to happen and that no one could have prevented it:  Dan left me after a month so I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.22know/understand what it means to be something to have experienced a particular situation, so that you know what it is like:  I know what it means to be alone in a foreign country.GRAMMAR: Using the progressiveMean is not used in the progressive in any of its senses, except for sense 3. You say: · What does this word mean?· This means trouble. ✗Don’t say: What is this word meaning? | This is meaning trouble.Grammar guide ‒ VERBS mean1 verbmean2 adjectivemean3 noun meanmean2 ●●● S3 adjective (comparative meaner, superlative meanest) Entry menu MENU FOR meanmean1 cruel2 not generous3 no mean feat/achievement/task etc4 be no mean performer/player etc5 a mean something6 average7 poor Word Origin WORD ORIGINmean2 Origin: 1-5, 7 Old English gemæne6 1300-1400 Old French meien, from Latin medianus; ➔ MEDIAN2 Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES He's so mean, he won't even buy his wife a birthday present. He was mean to those who worked for him and generous to those who he hardly knew. I never thought he was capable of doing such a mean thing to his brother. It was mean of you to disturb her when she was having a rest. Marsha has always been mean with her money. My father was a mean old man who resented every penny he spent on us. Rick's so mean he never even buys his wife a birthday present. Sharon and the others were really mean to me at school today. She hated him for being so mean. Why was he stopping her from seeing her friends? That was a mean trick. The mean length of stay in the hospital is 11 days. There's no reason to be mean. We soon found out that our new teacher could be real mean. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS In the garden grey airs blow moist, but the mean sky holds on to its water. Now with Sam gone Helen will get meaner and meaner to me like always. The mean labelling indices did not change significantly over time regardless of whether or not there were recurrences. The disparity between solar noon and mean noon widens and narrows as the seasons change, on a sliding scale. Thesaurus THESAURUS► unkind treating people in a way that makes them unhappy or upset. Unkind sounds rather formal. In everyday English, people usually say mean or nasty: · Children can be very unkind to each other.· a rather unkind remark ► mean especially spoken unkind: · Don’t be mean to your sister!· It was a mean thing to do. ► nasty deliberately unkind, and seeming to enjoy making people unhappy: · He said some really nasty things before he left.· a nasty man ► hurtful unkind – used about remarks and actions: · Joe couldn’t forget the hurtful things she had said.· Couples sometimes do hurtful things to each other. ► spiteful deliberately unkind to someone because you are jealous of them or angry with them: · The other women were spiteful to her, and gave her the hardest work to do.· She watched them with spiteful glee (=pleasure). ► malicious deliberately behaving in a way that is likely to upset, hurt, or cause problems for someone: · Someone had been spreading malicious rumours about him.· There was a malicious smile on her face.· an act of malicious vandalism· The accusations are malicious. ► unsympathetic not seeming to care about someone’s problems, and not trying to help them or make them feel better: · Her parents were very unsympathetic, and told her that she deserved to fail her exam.· an unsympathetic boss ► hard-hearted very unsympathetic and not caring at all about other people’s feelings: · Was he hard-hearted enough to leave his son in jail overnight?· a hard-hearted businessman Longman Language Activatornot generous► stingy also miserly not generous, especially in small ways, when you could easily afford to be generous: · They are rich, but they are terribly stingy.· A hard, miserly woman, she left her daughters emotionally damaged.stingy with: · I don't know why they were so stingy with the drinks -- they have plenty of money. ► mean British someone who is mean does not like spending money or sharing what they have with other people: · He's so mean, he won't even buy his wife a birthday present.mean with: · Marsha has always been mean with her money. ► tight/tight-fisted spoken informal someone who is tight or tight-fisted is not at all generous and tries hard to avoid spending money: · "I don't think I'll bother getting them a present." "Don't be so tight!"· Don't even ask Dad. You know how tight-fisted he is about these kinds of things.· a tight-fisted bosstight with money: · Even as a young man, Paul was notoriously tight with his money. ► penny-pinching spending very little, or always spending less than is needed, often because you do not have very much money: · His grandparents were humourless and penny-pinching.· She could finally tolerate no more of his coldness and penny-pinching ways.· Unfortunately we have a penny-pinching local government that spends as little as possible on parks and sports facilities. unpleasant person/behaviour► horrible especially British behaving in a very rude, unkind, or annoying way: · Her husband was a horrible man - lazy, and always drunk.· I really don't like her at all - she's horrible!be horrible to somebody: · I think I'll go out if you're just going to be horrible to me. ► unpleasant rude or unfriendly in the way you talk to people or answer their questions: · That man in the grocery store is always so unpleasant.· Did she really say that? What an unpleasant person!be unpleasant to somebody: · You shouldn't have been so unpleasant to her - she was only trying to help. ► nasty someone who is nasty has a very unpleasant character and is often unkind to people: · I'd avoid him. if I were you. He can be quite nasty.· My first boss was a really nasty person, who seemed to enjoy making life difficult for everyone.be nasty to/towards somebody: · Some of the older boys were being very nasty to him. ► mean American rude and unkind in the way you treat people: · We soon found out that our new teacher could be real mean.be mean to somebody: · Sharon and the others were really mean to me at school today. ► not very nice especially spoken unkind or unfriendly - use this especially about things people say to each other: · They just told us to shut up, which wasn't very nice.not very nice of somebody: · It wasn't very nice of him to have a party without inviting me. ► obnoxious/objectionable rude and offensive, especially deliberately Objectionable is more formal than obnoxious: · I'd hate to be her secretary -- she's so obnoxious.· You're behaving like a spoilt obnoxious child.· I'd never have employed him if I'd realized what an objectionable person he was.· What was most objectionable about her was her arrogance. ► creep informal someone who you dislike because they are unpleasant and behave in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable: · Get out of here you little creep! You make me sick!· He didn't say that, did he? What a creep! ► nasty piece of work informal someone who is very unpleasant and is likely to behave in a cruel or violent way: · Casey and Wyatt went round in a gang with Don, who was a nasty piece of work.· Why would anyone want to kill Howard, do you think?" "It's obvious. He was a nasty piece of work." someone who hates spending money► stingy not generous with your money, even though you are not poor: · Don't be so stingy! It's your turn to buy me a drink.· It's no use asking him - he's too stingy to give money to charity. ► mean British someone who is mean does not like spending money or sharing what they have with other people: · Rick's so mean he never even buys his wife a birthday present.· My father was a mean old man who resented every penny he spent on us. ► cheap American, especially spoken someone who is cheap does not like spending money, and always tries to avoid spending it: · Uncle Matt was really cheap - he used to stay with us for weeks, and he never paid for anything. ► tight-fisted informal not generous with money - use this about people who annoy you because they have money but do not like spending it: · He was known to have made a fortune on the stock market, but was nonetheless notoriously tight-fisted. ► miser someone who hates spending money, and prefers to save as much as possible - use this especially about someone who has collected a lot of money by doing this: · Mr Henny was a miser who had thousands of pounds hidden away under his bed. treating someone unkindly► unkind someone who is unkind treats people in a way that makes them unhappy or upset: · Children can be very unkind.unkind to: · I felt very sorry for being unkind to her.it is unkind (of somebody) to do something: · It would be unkind to keep him in suspense for too long. ► mean someone who is mean deliberately speaks to someone unkindly or does things to annoy them or make them angry: · She hated him for being so mean. Why was he stopping her from seeing her friends?· I never thought he was capable of doing such a mean thing to his brother.mean to: · He was mean to those who worked for him and generous to those who he hardly knew.it is mean (of somebody) to do something: · It was mean of you to disturb her when she was having a rest. ► nasty someone who is nasty is deliberately unkind, and seems to enjoy making people unhappy: · When I was a child I did some nasty things to my little brother.· I don't mean to be nasty, but I don't think we should work together any more.nasty to: · Paul, you mustn't be nasty to the children. You'll make them cry. ► cruel someone who is cruel is very unkind, and does not seem to care about other people's feelings: · He didn't seem the sort of man to be cruel on purpose.cruel to: · She married a man who was very cruel to her.it is cruel (of somebody) to do something: · It was cruel of you to frighten the poor boy like that. ► spiteful deliberately unkind to someone because you are jealous of them or angry with them: · Failure had made him bitter and spiteful.· That was a wicked and spiteful thing to do. ► be hard on to be unkind to someone by criticizing them or treating them more severely than is fair: · He's only just started work here -- you mustn't be too hard on him.· I thought you were a little hard on Denise, not letting her go to the party. ► give somebody a hard time informal to be unkind to someone by criticizing them in a way that is not fair: · She left the company because her boss was giving her a really hard time.· Stop giving me such a hard time. I'm doing my best. ► take something out on to be unkind to someone because you are angry or upset about something else, even though it is not their fault: · I know you've had a bad day at the office, but don't take it out on me.· I'm sorry I was rotten to you, but there was no one else to take it out on. WORD SETS► Maths abacus, nounalgebra, nounangle, nounarc, nounarea, nounarithmetic, nounarithmetic, adjectivearithmetic progression, nounaxis, nounbar chart, nounbar graph, nounbase, nounbinomial, nounbisect, verbBoolean, adjectiveC, nouncalculator, nouncalculus, nouncanonical, adjectivechord, nouncipher, nouncircumference, nouncircumscribe, verbcompass, nouncomplementary, adjectivecomputation, nouncompute, verbconcentric, adjectivecone, nouncongruent, adjectiveconical, adjectiveconstant, nouncontain, verbcoordinate, nouncoordinate, adjectivecos, cosine, nouncube, nouncubic, adjectivecurvature, nouncurve, nouncut, verbdeci-, prefixdeviation, noundiagonal, adjectivediameter, noundifferential calculus, noundigit, noundimension, noundomain, nouneccentric, adjectiveellipse, nounelliptical, adjectiveequal, adjectiveequal, verbequals sign, nounequation, nounequilateral triangle, nounexponential, adjectiveexpress, verbexpression, nounface, nounfigure, nounflow chart, nounformula, nounfraction, nounfractional, adjectivefunction, noungeometric, adjectivegeometry, noungraph, noungraphically, adverbgraph paper, noungrid, nounHCF, helix, nounheptagon, nounhexagon, nounhistogram, nounhypotenuse, nounimperial, adjectiveimproper fraction, nouninfinity, nouninformation theory, nouninnumerate, adjectiveinto, prepositioninverse, adjectiveisosceles triangle, nounline graph, log, nounlogarithm, nounlong division, nounlozenge, nounmath, nounmathematical, adjectivemathematician, nounmathematics, nounmatrix, nounmean, adjectivemedian, nounmedian, adjectivemetric, adjectiveminus, prepositionminus, nounminus, adjectiveminus sign, nounminute, nounmultiplication, nounmultiplication sign, nounmultiplication table, nounmultiply, verbN, nounnumber, nounnumerate, adjectivenumeration, nounoblong, adjectiveobtuse angle, nounoctagon, nounoval, nounparabola, nounparallel, adjectiveparallelogram, nounpentagon, nounpercentage, nounperimeter, nounperpendicular, nounpi, nounpictogram, nounpie chart, nounplane, nounplane geometry, nounplus, prepositionplus, nounplus, adjectiveplus sign, nounpolygon, nounpolyhedron, nounpower, nounprism, nounprobability, nounproof, nounproportion, nounproposition, nounprotractor, nounquadrangle, nounquadrant, nounquadratic equation, nounquadri-, prefixquadrilateral, nounradius, nounratio, nounrectangle, nounrectilinear, adjectiverecur, verbrhombus, nounright angle, nounright-angled triangle, nounroot, nounruler, nounscale, nounscalene triangle, nounscatter diagram, section, nounsegment, nounsemicircle, nounset square, nounsine, nounslide rule, nounsolid, adjectivesolid, nounsolution, nounsolve, verbsphere, nounsquare, adjectivesquare, nounsquare, verbsquare, adverbsquarely, adverbsquare root, nounsubset, nounsubtract, verbsubtraction, nounsum, nounsurface area, nounsymmetrical, adjectivesymmetry, nountangent, nounterm, nountheorem, nounthreefold, adjectivetimes, prepositiontrapezium, nountriangle, nountrigonometry, nountwo-dimensional, adjectivevalue, nounvariable, nounvector, nounVenn diagram, nounvertex, nounvertical, adjectivevolume, nounwork, verbX, nounx-axis, nouny-axis, noun Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► It was mean of  It was mean of him not to invite her. COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be no mean achievement (=be difficult to achieve and therefore worth admiring)· He got the top mark in the country which is no mean achievement. ► arithmetic mean  the arithmetic mean (=average) ► something is by no means certain (=not definite)· Victory was by no means certain for Smith. ► be far from clear/be by no means clear (=be very unclear)· The directions she gave me were far from clear. ► a means of communication (=a way of exchanging information)· There were no roads and no means of communication with the people in the mountains. ► mean something as a compliment · When I said she’d lost weight, I meant it as a compliment. ► devise a means (=think of a way)· We must devise a means of transport that does not pollute the atmosphere. ► meant no disrespect  It was said on the spur of the moment and I meant no disrespect to anybody. ► an effective means · Is reducing the speed limit an effective means of reducing accidents? ► an efficient means · The tram is a very efficient means of transport. ► the end justifies the means (=used to say that something bad is acceptable, if it achieves a good result)· Their defence, that the end justifies the means, is not acceptable. ► a means to an end (=a way of achieving what you want)· To Joe, work was a means to an end, nothing more. ► a means of escape (=a way of escaping)· She searched in vain for a means of escape. ► a means of escape (=a way of forgetting about a bad situation)· Drugs and alcohol are their only means of escape. ► a means of expression · Art is not just a means of expression, it is also a means of communication. ► no mean feat (=something that is difficult to do) It is no mean feat to perform such a difficult piece. ► means of identification  fingerprinting as a means of identification ► (do you) know what I mean? (=used to ask if someone understands or has the same feeling as you) It’s nice to have a change sometimes. Know what I mean? ► if you know what I mean  Sometimes it’s better not to ask too many questions, if you know what I mean. ► I know what you mean  ‘I just felt so tired.’ ‘Yeah, I know what you mean.’ (=I understand, because I have had the same experience) ► mean ... literally  I said I felt like quitting, but I didn’t mean it literally (=I did not mean exactly what I said)! ► a means/source of livelihood  Fishing is the main source of livelihood for many people in the area. ► meant nothing  Politics meant nothing (=was not important) to me for years. ► by/through peaceful means · We must redistribute power in this country by peaceful means. ► means of propulsion  research into liquid hydrogen as a means of propulsion ► mean something by a remark · What did you mean by that remark? ► mean ruin (=cause ruin for someone)· They fear that the proposals could mean ruin for small football clubs. ► see what ... mean  I see what you mean (=I understand what you are saying). ► a means/mode/form of transport · Horses and carts were the only means of transport. ► means/mode/form of transportation  People need to get out of their cars and use other modes of transportation. ► a form/mode/method/means of travel · I find the train a more comfortable mode of travel. ► mean/spell trouble (=mean there will be trouble)· They are now much more competitive, which can only spell trouble for their rivals. ► turn nasty/mean/violent etc (=suddenly become angry, violent etc) The police are worried that the situation could turn violent. ► ways and means · We are discussing ways and means of bringing jobs to our area. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► achievement · No mean achievement given the established market domination by Sage.· For an immigrant boy this marital alliance was no mean achievement.· But that was no mean achievement.· It will be no mean achievement.· This is no mean achievement as it means achieving Guild membership consistently for five successive years.· To have provided such an advance on existing theories is no mean achievement.· Considering that we were completely and utterly untrained at this stage of the war, this was no mean achievement. ► age · The mean age of a sample of fourteen was 18 7.· The mean age increased together with the severity of the oesophageal injury.· Their mean age was 46.6 years with a range of 21-82 years, and 10 were men.· In each site in both series, the mean age of the women was greater than the mean age of the men.· The mean ages of onset of colitis in the benign and malignant groups were 31 and 24 years respectively.· To improve precision, it is usual to date several samples from the same archaeological level to determine the mean age.· The mean age was 40 years, an equal male/female distribution was found.· Five male cases died at mean age 47.8, compared with two controls at 49.5. ► distance · The mean distance of the electron from the central proton defines the atom's size. ► duration · Secondly, the mean duration of treatment before study termination was similar in both groups. ► feat · On Tuesday Invergordon Distillers reported a marginal improvement in underlying profits, no mean feat given the difficulties facing the whisky sector.· Given that there are some 20,000 such fastenings in a boat of this size, this is no mean feat.· This is no mean feat as the statute has 108 sections divided into 12 separate parts, together with 15 schedules.· The discovery of an effect with such a long latent period was no mean feat of epidemiology. ► number · The mean number of errors made during each trial was calculated for each group.· A mean number of 10 well orientated crypts were examined for each specimen.· The mean number of letters recalled across the 12 subjects for each time delay was then calculated.· Table 3.1 shows the mean number of correct responses given by each age group.· The mean number of hits was 9.3 and false alarms 3.1.· This indicates an increase in the mean number of quanta released per trial.· The mean number of hits and false alarms in Table 4.6 are out of a maximum possible number of nine. ► score · The middle third yielded a mean score of 54 percent and this was also the overall mean score.· The figures in the table are thus mean scores of the means for the organizations in the three groups.· The test yielded a mean score of just over 50 percent for all pupils participating.· Main outcome measures - Improvement in mean scores on Hamilton depression rating scale for 55 randomised controlled trials.· The boys' mean score was 57 percent and the girls' 51 percent.· The mean scores at baseline for the subgroup of students who were followed up were the same as for those not followed up. ► street · They'd ganged up on Kenny and afterwards he looked as if the mean streets had come up to meet him face first.· Hopkins, noted for a ferocious work ethic, often refers to prison and life on the mean streets.· Down the mean streets of the urban wasteland treads psychiatrist Trevor Turner, looking for the tell-tale signs. ► temperature · This behaviour is similar to the observed evolution of the mean temperature in the lower stratosphere during 1984 and 1989.· The mean temperature in Champagne is 10.53°C sheltered at 2 metres above the ground and 11.21°C at 0.2 metres above the ground.· Since then they have been both warmer and colder, with oscillations of the order of 1-2°C about annual mean temperatures. ► value · Where more than one sample has been used, mean values are shown here, although there are within-species differences.· This pattern has been constructed by finding the mean value of coin loss at eighty-eight sites.· The data were then grouped according to the mean value.· Applications are then made either side of this mean value, depending on crop greenness.· The statistical significance of the difference between the mean value of groups was tested by Student's t test for unpaired values. ► velocity · The mean velocity also varies vertically, and we shall confine attention to two-dimensional flow.· Firstly, the mean velocity profile may be liable to local instability, somewhat analogous to instability of laminar flow.· The turbulence is being kept going by the working of this against the mean velocity gradient.· In most turbulent flows, for example, only the mean velocity can be measured with a Pitot tube. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► no mean feat/achievement/task etc But that was no mean achievement. For an immigrant boy this marital alliance was no mean achievement. Given that there are some 20,000 such fastenings in a boat of this size, this is no mean feat. In particular the notion that nurse training is for the young and for women only must be dispelled; no mean task. In this case it was no mean task. On Tuesday Invergordon Distillers reported a marginal improvement in underlying profits, no mean feat given the difficulties facing the whisky sector. This is no mean feat as the statute has 108 sections divided into 12 separate parts, together with 15 schedules. This is no mean task, especially if they have not been doing any recruitment for the past few months. ► be no mean performer/player etc Kinnock fils, who is no mean performer on the rugby field, has developed a taste for academe. ► a mean something Stritch plays a mean piano. They always put on a mean Sunday brunch. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► mean business And to prove we mean business, our members will stage a one-day strike next week. Firm action would show both sides that the EU and the UN really meant business. The man had a gun. It was obvious he meant business. But as the oil men realised that we meant business, seizures began to drop. But when it bites, it means business. For one local company it's meant business taking off like a rocket. One of the quintet not only means business but high-minded, selfless business. They looked as though they meant business. This does not necessarily mean businesses must avoid all such one-of-a-kinds whatever their nature. Those boys knew we meant business. Zhou had discarded his usual severe tunic for a gray Western business suit, and he meant business. ► not know/mean diddly Bradley doesn't know diddly about running his own business. ► be/mean everything (to somebody) Walt's family means everything to him. Beckwith meant everything to him, she'd recognized that from the first. Does that mean everything deserves a Nobel Prize? It meant everything to her to be able to play her senior year. On the other hand, a word can not mean everything and something at the same time. She needed to be everything she could be and London would provide for that. Timing can be everything, even in rocket science. Well, that seems to be everything so far as tomorrow is concerned. ► by fair means or foul► mean no harm/not mean any harm► how do you mean? Straight? How do you mean, straight? And now, how do you mean translated? ► woman/man etc of independent means► just because ... it doesn’t mean► not by any manner of means You know, it isn't all sweetness and light here, not by any manner of means. ► what’s that supposed to mean? "It sounds like things aren't going too well for you lately." "What's that supposed to mean?" ► a dirty/rotten/mean trick Bomb threats and other dirty tricks kept many voters at home. ► understand something to be/mean something We understood his lack of response to mean "no." Accent, tone, fluency and vocabulary can affect the ability of sender and receiver to understand or to be understood. After a while-it seemed like an eternity-Philip usually acknowledged that he understood what needed to be accomplished. Barmy anyway, which is what I understand you to mean. Hicks understood it to mean Those Who Are. Homosexuals have as much right to be understood, to be treated with compassionate love as the rest of us. Isabel had always understood Faith to mean that she should have it. Must you really understand duration to be a savvy investor? To understand is to be betrayed. ► this means war► mean the world to somebody/think the world of somebody 1cruel cruel or not kind:  That was a mean thing to do. I felt a bit mean asking him to help. It’s a mean trick to play on someone. It was mean of him not to invite her.mean to Don’t be so mean to her!► see thesaurus at unkind2not generous British English not wanting to spend money, or not wanting to use much of something SYN  stingy, cheap American English:  He’s too mean to buy a present for his wife.mean with He’s always been mean with his money. It was supposed to be garlic bread, but they’d been a bit mean with the garlic.3no mean feat/achievement/task etc something that is very difficult to do, so that someone who does it deserves to be admired:  They sold 1 million cards in the first year of business – no mean feat, given the problems many businesses are facing.4be no mean performer/player etc to be very good at doing something:  Kinnock is no mean performer on the rugby field.5a mean something informal used to say that something is very good or that someone is very good at doing something:  He plays a mean game of poker. They serve a mean Sunday brunch at the restaurant on Fourth Street.6average [only before noun] technical average:  The study involved 60 patients with a mean age of 58.2 years. The mean annual rainfall was 852 mm.7poor [only before noun] literary poor or looking poor:  She walked briskly through the mean and dirty streets.—meanly adverb—meanness noun [uncountable] mean1 verbmean2 adjectivemean3 noun meanmean3 noun Word Origin WORD ORIGINmean3 Origin: 1300-1400 Old French meien, from meien ‘in the middle’; ➔ MEAN2 Examples EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS As for the rapists, I bet they are unsuccessful in attracting females, and so resort to desperate means. But success was by no means guaranteed. By no means, Watson; even now quite a few scientists continue to doubt. In some of the other states, the usual means of locomotion was still a horse and wagon. The poorer ones lack the means to get out, and keep getting caught. Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► be no mean achievement (=be difficult to achieve and therefore worth admiring)· He got the top mark in the country which is no mean achievement. ► arithmetic mean  the arithmetic mean (=average) ► something is by no means certain (=not definite)· Victory was by no means certain for Smith. ► be far from clear/be by no means clear (=be very unclear)· The directions she gave me were far from clear. ► a means of communication (=a way of exchanging information)· There were no roads and no means of communication with the people in the mountains. ► mean something as a compliment · When I said she’d lost weight, I meant it as a compliment. ► devise a means (=think of a way)· We must devise a means of transport that does not pollute the atmosphere. ► meant no disrespect  It was said on the spur of the moment and I meant no disrespect to anybody. ► an effective means · Is reducing the speed limit an effective means of reducing accidents? ► an efficient means · The tram is a very efficient means of transport. ► the end justifies the means (=used to say that something bad is acceptable, if it achieves a good result)· Their defence, that the end justifies the means, is not acceptable. ► a means to an end (=a way of achieving what you want)· To Joe, work was a means to an end, nothing more. ► a means of escape (=a way of escaping)· She searched in vain for a means of escape. ► a means of escape (=a way of forgetting about a bad situation)· Drugs and alcohol are their only means of escape. ► a means of expression · Art is not just a means of expression, it is also a means of communication. ► no mean feat (=something that is difficult to do) It is no mean feat to perform such a difficult piece. ► means of identification  fingerprinting as a means of identification ► (do you) know what I mean? (=used to ask if someone understands or has the same feeling as you) It’s nice to have a change sometimes. Know what I mean? ► if you know what I mean  Sometimes it’s better not to ask too many questions, if you know what I mean. ► I know what you mean  ‘I just felt so tired.’ ‘Yeah, I know what you mean.’ (=I understand, because I have had the same experience) ► mean ... literally  I said I felt like quitting, but I didn’t mean it literally (=I did not mean exactly what I said)! ► a means/source of livelihood  Fishing is the main source of livelihood for many people in the area. ► meant nothing  Politics meant nothing (=was not important) to me for years. ► by/through peaceful means · We must redistribute power in this country by peaceful means. ► means of propulsion  research into liquid hydrogen as a means of propulsion ► mean something by a remark · What did you mean by that remark? ► mean ruin (=cause ruin for someone)· They fear that the proposals could mean ruin for small football clubs. ► see what ... mean  I see what you mean (=I understand what you are saying). ► a means/mode/form of transport · Horses and carts were the only means of transport. ► means/mode/form of transportation  People need to get out of their cars and use other modes of transportation. ► a form/mode/method/means of travel · I find the train a more comfortable mode of travel. ► mean/spell trouble (=mean there will be trouble)· They are now much more competitive, which can only spell trouble for their rivals. ► turn nasty/mean/violent etc (=suddenly become angry, violent etc) The police are worried that the situation could turn violent. ► ways and means · We are discussing ways and means of bringing jobs to our area. COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► annual · Average relative humidity is high throughout the year, ranging from 80 to 88% saturation, with an annual mean of 85%. ► available · All available means for eradicating underdevelopment exist at the door step of the continent in particular and the world in general. ► conventional · Once nasty enough, this virus would start spreading by more conventional means. ► democratic · This is what democratic leadership means.· According to sources, the report urges paramilitary groups to commit themselves to exclusively democratic means and to total disarmament. ► effective · Thin-section petrology is a more effective means of carrying out such quantitative work.· The only effective means of controlling outbreaks of this disease are mass vaccination campaigns.· Vitamin supplements, which cost just a few cents a dose, are a highly effective means of prevention.· This was not just a very effective means to an end: it was an end in itself-and a gamble.· It has proved a simple, cheap and-so far-effective means of maintaining good circulation in my legs.· Such networks may also provide a more effective means for monitoring occupationally acquired infections in hospital and laboratory personnel.· Quevauviller is very successful in systematically altering analytical chemists to effective means for achieving quality in analytical speciation. ► excellent · An excellent means of putting money in the pockets of the poor without burdening taxpayers.· They are easy to create and are an excellent means of presenting detailed information. ► financial · Most patients of the hospital do not have the financial means to afford treatment for erectile dysfunction.· Although news of her work in Motijhil had spread quickly, they had almost no financial means.· On housing, what exactly does the Financial Secretary mean by the introduction of competition into housing management?· Lamar Alexander and news commentator Pat Buchanan, both of whom themselves are men of substantial financial means.· If your financial means vary as much as your spending habits, then such a mortgage may be for you.· The Hicks family was not one of great financial means.· Barneys executives have contended that its expansion strained its management resources more than its financial means. ► independent · Only in the last 50 years have independent means of absolute dating become available, transforming archaeology in the process.· The virus has no independent means of propulsion and can not control its own motion.· Here we are, you see, women of modest but independent means, living together, but without male attachments. ► indirect · The feistier sort of Republican is as hostile to big government by indirect means as to the direct variety.· But other details, some of the most interesting, can not be confirmed by such indirect means. ► modest · The family survived on modest means.· Being of very modest means, but having some contacts upon the turf, he attempted to increase his wages by gambling.· Here we are, you see, women of modest but independent means, living together, but without male attachments. ► peaceful · Second, unification shall be achieved through peaceful means, and not through use of force against one another. ► possible · Campaigners insist that developing countries must use every possible means to get hold of affordable drugs that can stop people dying.· We should be prepared to counter this unprecedented instrument of domination by all possible means.· One possible means could entail offering tax or financing incentives to small high-technology businesses.· The man of conscience and compassion must see that efficiency is increased by all possible means. ► primary · Consequently, wage employment is the primary means by which they can be lifted out of grinding poverty.· For years, annexation has been the primary means by which city officials planned for growth.· It was a primary means of evangelism.· Electronic networks can support this organizational structure by providing the primary means of connection. ► traditional · But the advantages of getting weather on-line instead of through more traditional means are just as clear. VERB► achieve · Quevauviller is very successful in systematically altering analytical chemists to effective means for achieving quality in analytical speciation.· The lawyer is responsible for working with the client to decide the best means to achieve those objectives.· Where the consensus broke down was over the means used to achieve the goals.· And for the first time, they had the means to achieve it.· University law states that a strike is not a legal means of achieving student objectives. ► become · The waters of chaos which extinguish life in judgment actually bear up the survivors, becoming their means of salvation.· Human experience becomes the means to comprehend and express our awareness of the sacred.· When did it become admirable to be mean?· The photographic camera thus became the foremost means for producing or recording such images.· It has become a central means by which Congress secures the accountability of executive and independent agencies.· They were first, as a result, to become concerned with means, explicit or unrecognized, for safeguarding that stake. ► do · Q.. What exactly does the term bankruptcy mean?· So, what does all this mean?· In short, do ends justify means or are the means themselves of intrinsic significance to the final outcome?· But what exactly does this claim mean?· What does all this jargon mean? ► end · Lifestyle and social status, cars, houses and clothes, are means, not ends.· The central failure of government today is one of means, not ends. ► find · Yet finding the means to deal with this determined and ruthless group is not easy.· Daedalus himself, the wily artisan who wrought the whole thing, could find no means to pierce its mystery from within.· Yes, Professor, and I was at no loss to find these means.· The females in their zeal would find some means to drive him away into the military service....· First Bank officials, however, contend they will find other means to bolster earnings and maintain their projections.· The national government seemingly could find no constitutional means to intercede to protect its black citizens.· One action is to meet with school staff to find the means to help Mike at school.· When Pauline grew into her teen years, the father found the means to ship her off to relatives in Baltimore. ► justify · The end does not justify the means, no matter what the cause.· In short, do ends justify means or are the means themselves of intrinsic significance to the final outcome? ► lack · The poorer ones lack the means to get out, and keep getting caught.· These early systems sometimes provide information only and lack the means to accept orders via the keyboard.· It may feel it lacks the means to guarantee success and that a military enterprise would be too risky.· They lacked both proof and means of verification. ► live · The really rapid growth in the second half of the 1990s was the result of an economy living beyond its means.· Yet that earlier generation was able to live within its means, balancing budgets year after year.· Are you living within your means? ► protect · And he also had a few choice words about my means of protecting myself.· The national government seemingly could find no constitutional means to intercede to protect its black citizens. ► provide · Nature, fortunately, has provided a convenient means for locating the chromosomes.· It pays lip service to local choices but provides no specific means to make them more rational and efficient.· Thus they also provided the means for doing this: microsurgery, by pipette.· Forms provide the means to collect and act on data entered by the end user.· Present-value calculations provide a simple means of quantifying this time value of money by using the reciprocal of the compound interest formula.· Wise societies provide ample means for young men to affirm themselves without afflicting others.· People who work provide the means by which we get the goods and services we want. ► understand · To understand what sustainability means, it's necessary first to understand what unsustainability means in terms of first-order scientific principles.· Here are a few: Understand what cholesterol means and where it originates.· The magic does not come from menstruation alone, it comes from understanding what menstruation means. ► use · Campaigners insist that developing countries must use every possible means to get hold of affordable drugs that can stop people dying.· All agreed that the United States had to stand up to the aggressors from the north, using whatever means were necessary.· These are people using legislative means to preserve their language and culture.· They are authorized to use any conceivable means to accomplish the mission.· Sometimes people have learning problems and they use visual means to help them understand.· You must use whatever means are available to you and avoid wasting time on those that are not. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► the mean The mean of 6, 9, and 12 is 9. ► the/a mean between something and something It's a case of finding the mean between firmness and compassion. A Nothing in comparison with the Infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing, a mean between nothing and everything. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► mean business And to prove we mean business, our members will stage a one-day strike next week. Firm action would show both sides that the EU and the UN really meant business. The man had a gun. It was obvious he meant business. But as the oil men realised that we meant business, seizures began to drop. But when it bites, it means business. For one local company it's meant business taking off like a rocket. One of the quintet not only means business but high-minded, selfless business. They looked as though they meant business. This does not necessarily mean businesses must avoid all such one-of-a-kinds whatever their nature. Those boys knew we meant business. Zhou had discarded his usual severe tunic for a gray Western business suit, and he meant business. ► not know/mean diddly Bradley doesn't know diddly about running his own business. ► be/mean everything (to somebody) Walt's family means everything to him. Beckwith meant everything to him, she'd recognized that from the first. Does that mean everything deserves a Nobel Prize? It meant everything to her to be able to play her senior year. On the other hand, a word can not mean everything and something at the same time. She needed to be everything she could be and London would provide for that. Timing can be everything, even in rocket science. Well, that seems to be everything so far as tomorrow is concerned. ► by fair means or foul► mean no harm/not mean any harm► how do you mean? Straight? How do you mean, straight? And now, how do you mean translated? ► woman/man etc of independent means► just because ... it doesn’t mean► not by any manner of means You know, it isn't all sweetness and light here, not by any manner of means. ► what’s that supposed to mean? "It sounds like things aren't going too well for you lately." "What's that supposed to mean?" ► a dirty/rotten/mean trick Bomb threats and other dirty tricks kept many voters at home. ► understand something to be/mean something We understood his lack of response to mean "no." Accent, tone, fluency and vocabulary can affect the ability of sender and receiver to understand or to be understood. After a while-it seemed like an eternity-Philip usually acknowledged that he understood what needed to be accomplished. Barmy anyway, which is what I understand you to mean. Hicks understood it to mean Those Who Are. Homosexuals have as much right to be understood, to be treated with compassionate love as the rest of us. Isabel had always understood Faith to mean that she should have it. Must you really understand duration to be a savvy investor? To understand is to be betrayed. ► this means war► mean the world to somebody/think the world of somebody 1the mean technical the average amount, figure, or value:  The mean of 7, 9 and 14 is 10.2the/a mean between something and something a method of doing something which is between two very different methods, and better than either of them:  It’s a case of finding the mean between firmness and compassion. → means
随便看	Inc. Inca incalculable incandescence incandescent incantation incapability incapable incapacitate incapacitation incapacity incarcerate incarceration incarnate Incarnation incarnation incautious incautiously incendiary incense incensed incentive incentivize inception incessant

英语词典包含52748条英英释义在线翻译词条，基本涵盖了全部常用单词的英英翻译及用法，是英语学习的有利工具。