riot1 nounriot2 verb
riotri‧ot1 /ˈraɪət/ ●●○ noun 
WORD ORIGINriot1
Origin:
1100-1200 Old French ‘quarrel’EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Riot police used tear gas against the protestors.
- Riots erupted in the capital after police banned two anti-government demonstrations.
- A riot broke out after a police shooting of a local man.
- A peaceful rally turned into a riot after police fired into the crowd.
- Altogether the riots cost 130 lives and well over $700 million in property damage.
- Five days of rioting followed the police shooting of student leaders.
- Four days of unrest and anti-government riots left at least three people dead.
- In 1943 there were violent race riots in Detroit in which 25 black people died.
- Isn't that a riot?
- More than 150 officers battled to end the riots outside the embassy.
- Racial tension boiled over in the inner city riots which spread across the nation last week.
- The army was called in to put down the riots.
- the student riots in Paris in the 1960s
- There were riots in several cities after it was announced that the price of bread would rise by 200%.
- This guy is a riot.
- A riot in a drab housing project outside Paris leaves one participant on his deathbed, a victim of police brutality.
- And loyalists claim a second inmate was blinded for 48 hours after riot squad prison officers turned high-powered hose on his face.
- At least 300 people were killed during the weeklong riots.
- By the time the riot was brought under control, the white bus was already back in Dresden.
- Police, many in riot gear, later separated the gangs.
- The violent communal riots of 1969 precipitated his resignation as Prime Minister in 1970.
- Wasn't there three thousand men in Tipperary last Saturday in a riot for work, outside this very building.
THESAURUSwhen people hit or attack each other
a situation in which people hit or attack each other because of an argument, or as a sport: · He had a fight with an older boy.· the famous fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman
a fight between opposing armies or groups of people: · The English king was killed at the Battle of Hastings.· a battle between two rival gangs
a short fight that is not very violent: · There was a short scuffle with the police, but no arrests were made.
British English informal a fight in which people hit each other because of an argument: · The game turned into a punch-up.
a noisy fight between a group of people: · He was hurt in a drunken brawl.
formal a short noisy argument or fight, especially one that is not serious: · There was a brief altercation and someone called the police.
a fight involving a large number of people, especially people who are protesting about something: · The book provoked riots all over Europe.
Longman Language Activatora fight involving a large number of people when a lot of people fight each other in a public place: · There was fighting on the streets of Paris yesterday when police and demonstrators clashed.fighting between: · Fighting between rival gangs resulted in the death of a teenage boy.fighting breaks out (=starts): · Fighting broke out between English and Dutch football fans after the game.
an uncontrolled violent fight in a public place that involves a large number of people and usually damage to property, cars etc, especially among people who are protesting about something: · There were riots in several cities after it was announced that the price of bread would rise by 200%.· Four days of unrest and anti-government riots left at least three people dead.a riot breaks out (=starts): · A riot broke out after a police shooting of a local man.
a fight between two large groups of people: · He was killed in a street battle in 1998.battle between: · a battle between rival gangspitched battle (=a very violent fight): · About 200 students fought pitched battles with police during the demonstrations.
a short fight between two groups of people who have opposing opinions or aims: · The clashes came as farmers blockaded roads.clash between: · There were clashes last night between local residents and young people attending the rock festival.
a situation in which there is a lot of angry disagreement between two groups, which may develop into a fight: · The police were obviously anticipating a confrontation, as they were heavily armed.
a fight that a lot of people in a crowd join, especially when they have no particular reason to be fighting each other: · After Mathews was attacked, a free-for-all broke out in the audience.
ways of protesting about something · The school has received over 3,000 letters of protest.· The protest begun by Soweto children rapidly spread throughout the country.mass protest (=a protest by a lot of people) · Over fifteen thousand people held a mass protest against racism in the country's capital.storm of protest (=a lot of angry protest) · The shooting provoked a storm of protest.in protest at/against · Prisoners have been holding hunger strikes in protest against their living conditions.· Public employees have threatened mass resignations in protest at the plans.
also demo British when a large number of people come together to protest about something, by having an outdoor meeting or marching through the streets: · The police had to break up yesterday's animal rights demonstration.· Some of the marchers called to us to come and join the demo.demonstration against: · Over 3,000 people took part in a demonstration against the dumping of nuclear waste at sea.
when a large group of people walk in an organized way from one place to another in order to protest about something: · Thousands of students took part in the march.protest march: · Local trade union leaders joined in the protest march against cuts in government spending.
when people protest against the actions of a country or company, for example by not buying its products, not attending its events etc: boycott of: · Farmers are calling for a boycott of all imported meat.· a boycott of the peace talks
violent and illegal behaviour by a large group of people in order to protest against something that they think is unfair and that has made them very angry: · Altogether the riots cost 130 lives and well over $700 million in property damage.· Racial tension boiled over in the inner city riots which spread across the nation last week.
when people refuse to leave the place where they work or study until they are given the things they are asking for: · Workers at the factory organized a sit-in to draw attention to their grievances.
a violent situation a situation in which a large crowd of people is behaving in a violent and uncontrolled way, especially when they are protesting about something: · More than 150 officers battled to end the riots outside the embassy.race riots (=between people of different races): · In 1943 there were violent race riots in Detroit in which 25 black people died.prison/student etc riots: · the student riots in Paris in the 1960sriots erupt/break out (=start suddenly and violently): · Riots erupted in the capital after police banned two anti-government demonstrations.put down a riot (=stop a riot): · The army was called in to put down the riots.riot police (=police whose job is to stop riots): · Riot police used tear gas against the protestors.
a social or political situation in which people protest and often behave violently: · In the unrest since January, 103 people have died.civil/industrial/political/social etc unrest: · The Foreign Office is advising people not to travel to the area, because of civil unrest.· a wave of nation-wide strikes and industrial unresta state of unrest: · For several weeks students at the university have been in a state of unrest.
a situation in which people fight or behave violently in public: · The government is introducing special new measures to deal with prison riots and disturbances.civil disturbances: · Israel was reported to be offering guidance to the army on controlling civil disturbances.minor/major disturbances: · There were minor disturbances in Amman during the recent by-elections.
WORD SETSalarmed, adjectiveallegation, nounamnesty, nounbail, nounbreath test, nouncharge sheet, nouncircumstantial, adjectivecompensation, nouncompensatory, adjectivecomplicity, nouncondemned, adjectivecondemned cell, nounconfess, verbconfession, nounconman, nouncontraband, nouncuff, verbdebug, verbdetain, verbdick, nounenforce, verbfed, nounFederal Bureau of Investigation, nounflogging, nounforensic, adjectivegallows, noungaolbird, noungas chamber, noungibbet, nounguillotine, nounhang, verbhanging, nounhard labour, nounimpeach, verbKC, nounlaunder, verblawsuit, nounleg irons, nounlicensed, adjectivelicensing laws, nounlife, nounlife sentence, nounline-up, nounlynch, verblynch mob, nounpenalty point, nounpenology, nounpolygraph, nounposse, nounprisoner, nounracket, nounracketeer, nounracketeering, nounrake-off, nounransom, nounransom, verbreport, verbreprieve, nounriot, nounshop, verbsilk, nounspeed trap, nounstalker, nounstrip search, nountransport, verbtransportation, nountribunal, nounundercover, adjectivevictim, nounwrongdoing, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs
Police used live ammunition to quell the disturbances.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· When the election results were announced, it caused riots in the capital.
(=make it start)· The incident sparked off a riot which lasted for three days.
(=use force to stop it)· The police marched in to quell the riots.
· Riots broke out last month following the verdict.
ADJECTIVES/NOUN + riot· The prison riots were caused by bad physical conditions and poor security.
(=caused by a problem between different races)· In 1967, there were race riots in a number of major American cities.
· The urban riots forced the Government to invest in the inner cities.
· The jail was hit by a serious riot last year.
(=a serious riot, not only a little fighting)· The disturbance escalated into a full-scale riot.
riot + NOUN· The city deployed riot police to contain the demonstration.
(=a group of police who deal with riots)· Then someone called the riot squad.· Demonstrators clashed with 140 riot squad officers, drawn from the police and the British army.
(=special clothing worn by police dealing with a riot)· Almost 1,000 officers, many in riot gear, were needed to restore order.
(=a plastic shield used by a police officer)· The police moved in on the demonstration using riot shields and tear gas.
· All officers are trained in riot control.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES· Riot police moved in with tear gas.
Police used live ammunition to quell the disturbances.· No, it was just my imagination running riot.· He was running riot, switching off lights and knocking things over.· Cov giving up, Leeds running riot.
· Conflict with the police led to serious riots at Birkenhead and Belfast during the campaign against the Means Test in 1932.· The serious provincial riots in April-June last year in Xian, Changsha and Chengdu all involved large numbers of rural unemployed.· Throughout 1954 there were a number of anti-Hashemite demonstrations, culminating in serious riots in Jerusalem, Ramallah and even Amman.· The jail was hit by a serious riot last year - following another in 1988.· In 1932 there were violent demonstrations, several of them leading to serious riots.
· The 1980s saw urban riots on a scale unprecedented in peacetime twentieth-century Britain.
NOUN· Nearly all gone now, worse luck, and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.· One approach was to read these young people the riot act and let them repent or retreat.· Afterwards, Waziri would read the riot act in Kinyankole, the smoke from the matooke grates swirling behind him.· He then proceeded to read the riot act to his headstrong brother.· After reining in the regional barons and tackling the business oligarchs, Mr Putin read the riot act to the generals.· What good were riot acts being read?
· With the continuation of the disorders into 1968, the administration shifted its emphasis - to that of riot control.
· A team in riot gear went into Glentworth House, Netherfields, on Wednesday night to arrest a 29-year-old man.· Police in riot gear in turn fired. 37-caliber rubber bullets and beanbag weapons.· Warders in riot gear stormed the room after four hours and marched the 12 protesters to a segregation block.· Police, many in riot gear, later separated the gangs.· Almost 1,000 officers, many in riot gear, were needed to restore order.· Police equipped with riot gear were called to the scene.· Police, with riot gear on standby, were called in just after 1am this morning.· Two dozen boys in blue arrive in full riot gear.
· Five hundred riot police now patrol the streets.· As two months before, the students were no match for the riot police.· The catalyst for the demonstrations was the beating to death of a student demonstrator by riot police.· He manages a hotel unhappily located across from the cathedral where workers and riot police have staged nightly confrontations.· The shopping centre was burned down, riot police were brought in and about 30 people were injured in clashes.· Then a raid by about 200 riot police ended her nine-day protest.· Police helicopters hovered and riot police were posted around the square and nearby side streets.
· Riots and Disorder To the general public, the most noticeable symptom of the penal crisis is of course the prison riot.· They must have felt like wardens in a prison riot.· Strangeways rioters sentenced Eleven men have been jailed for up to ten years each for their part in the Strangeways prison riot.· Laramie Avenue in Cicero, where the Danley plant is, would be a good place for a prison riot.· Indeed, it was explicit in its judgment that the Public Order Act had made a new offence of prison riot unnecessary.· In 1989, there were just 43, which is about the same as the number of prison riots.· The government wanted to break up this system, which, it claimed, encouraged prison riots.· It was supposed to be a prison riot, but it looked more like an encore from the hottest show on Broadway.
· Apart from politically inspired race riots in the early 1960s, rarely did Black people behave badly towards us.· From her seat above the town, Clappe watches the race riot.· Notting Hill Carnival began unofficially in 1959 as a response to the the previous year's race riots.· In 1967, the nation was traumatized by race riots in a number of major cities.· Now however, a miniature version of the race riot that Gallagher had predicted exploded on campus.
· Metal riot shields were introduced in 1970.· Other demonstrators have managed to draw pink hearts on most of the riot shields.
· And loyalists claim a second inmate was blinded for 48 hours after riot squad prison officers turned high-powered hose on his face.· Special riot squads were ordered in from outside the city to deal with the gangs.
VERB· Please also note General Exclusion 7b - no cover is provided for loss or damage caused by riots or civil commotion.· That was when Turnberry George tried to show his movie, which damn near caused a riot.· Similarly discretion not to prosecute is sometime based on grounds irrelevant to our purpose, e.g. that prosecution will cause widespread riots.· A play like this, back home, would cause riots.· He has blamed the police for causing the May Day riot, siding with the Front.· Attempts to lynch black prisoners continued to cause jailhouse riots in 1919.· The rooms are full now and if I crowd the place any more it could cause a riot.· For me personally, the only physical discomfort caused by the riots was having to drive around roadblocks.
· In 1932 there were violent demonstrations, several of them leading to serious riots.· In many of the incidents leading to riots, police action was a precipitant.
· It was said that armed mounted troopers were grouped outside the oval to quell a possible riot.· To quell a riot, she kept a sympathetic hand on the manager's arm while the young boy repeated her instructions.
· Nearly all gone now, worse luck, and the guv'nor's arrived to read the riot act.· Afterwards, Waziri would read the riot act in Kinyankole, the smoke from the matooke grates swirling behind him.· He then proceeded to read the riot act to his headstrong brother.· After reining in the regional barons and tackling the business oligarchs, Mr Putin read the riot act to the generals.
· The acquittal, however, did not spark riots, as had the King case.
· It all seemed to have started with that riot in the Ealing Road.· There were not enough of them to start a riot.· She'd started many a riot back home, had been the cause of endless trouble between the Heskeths and their neighbours.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
1[countable] a situation in which a large crowd of people are behaving in a violent and uncontrolled way, especially when they are protesting about something: - Ann let her imagination run riot as she wrote.
- Roses ran riot up the wall.
- All kinds of wild ideas ran riot in my brain.
- Because of her weakened state her imagination had run riot.
- Boro threatened to run riot but could not provide the finishing touch.
- Confusion ran riot in Ruth's heart.
- In the Pilkington final two years ago, they ran riot over the Cherry and Whites.
- Now, when far greater things were at stake, she had allowed her emotions to run riot.
- The objects left in the churchyard were open to all manner of interpretation and imagination could run riot.
- When Coleridge got on one and let his imagination run riot, he came up with Kubla Khan.
- A Delicious mural was painted, a riot of colour, with the adjoining pub lending us a ladder.
- Ducks are very beautiful, a riot of colour.
- In this quiet lane there was an extravagance of wild flowers, a riot of colour.
- It was a riot of colour and pattern.
- Most plastics, however, will display a riot of colour when treated similarly.
- Since it was all in bloom, the yard was a riot of colour and scent.
- Stephanie read Ted the riot act for seeing his old girlfriend.
urban riots prison riots His murder triggered vicious race riots (=caused by a problem between different races). police wearing riot gear (=the special clothing and equipment worn by police officers during a riot) police in bullet-proof vests and carrying riot shields (=a piece of very hard plastic which police officers stand behind to protect them)2run riot a)if your imagination, emotions, thoughts etc run riot, you cannot or do not control them: Manufacturers have let their imaginations run riot to create new computer games. b)if people run riot, they behave in a violent, noisy, and uncontrolled way: Some people let their children run riot. c)if a plant runs riot, it grows very quickly3a riot of colour something with many different bright colours: The garden is a riot of colour in spring.4read (somebody) the riot act to give someone a strong warning that they must stop causing trouble – used humorously: If the kids don’t settle down soon, I’ll go up and read them the riot act.COLLOCATIONSverbscause a riot· When the election results were announced, it caused riots in the capital.spark off a riot (=make it start)· The incident sparked off a riot which lasted for three days.quell a riot (=use force to stop it)· The police marched in to quell the riots.a riot begins/breaks out/erupts· Riots broke out last month following the verdict.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + riota prison riot· The prison riots were caused by bad physical conditions and poor security.race riots (=caused by a problem between different races)· In 1967, there were race riots in a number of major American cities.urban/inner-city riots· The urban riots forced the Government to invest in the inner cities.a serious/major riot· The jail was hit by a serious riot last year.a full-scale riot (=a serious riot, not only a little fighting)· The disturbance escalated into a full-scale riot.riot + NOUNriot police· The city deployed riot police to contain the demonstration.the riot squad (=a group of police who deal with riots)· Then someone called the riot squad.· Demonstrators clashed with 140 riot squad officers, drawn from the police and the British army.riot gear (=special clothing worn by police dealing with a riot)· Almost 1,000 officers, many in riot gear, were needed to restore order.a riot shield (=a plastic shield used by a police officer)· The police moved in on the demonstration using riot shields and tear gas.riot control· All officers are trained in riot control.riot1 nounriot2 verb
riotriot2 verb [intransitive] VERB TABLE
riot
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | riot |
| he, she, it | riots | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | rioted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have rioted |
| he, she, it | has rioted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had rioted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will riot |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have rioted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am rioting |
| he, she, it | is rioting | |
| you, we, they | are rioting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was rioting |
| you, we, they | were rioting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been rioting |
| he, she, it | has been rioting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been rioting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be rioting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been rioting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Gangs of youths rioted for two nights on the streets of the capital.
- Hundreds of prisoners rioted on April 1 in the overcrowded prison.
- Prisoners in several jails have rioted in protest at their appalling conditions.
- At the time of the shooting the students were not rioting or causing civil disruption.
- In July 1834, rioting against abolitionists in New York City resulted in mass destruction of the black section.
- In the end, I think, they did not know how to riot.
- Investors have been a tad nervous since indigenous people rioted for several days in March.
- Some, as you know, seek revenge - they riot, they take drugs and generally make damned nuisances of themselves.
- The congress called on the government to reopen schools and Niamey University, closed following rioting on Feb. 27.
- When the pyramids began to collapse, crowds rioted throughout the small country and opposition activists demanded that the government step down.
THESAURUS
to do something to show publicly that you disagree with something – used especially when a large group of people do this together: · Huge crowds gathered in the capital protesting against the war.· Drivers blocked roads around the capital to protest about the rising cost of fuel.
to walk in a large group from one place to another in order to protest about something: · Hundreds of students marched through the city in protest against the employment laws.
to walk or stand somewhere in a large group, in order to protest about something: · About 200 people were demonstrating outside the US Embassy.· Environmentalists have been demonstrating against plans to dump waste at sea.
to protest by behaving in a violent and uncontrolled way: · Hundreds of workers rioted after pay negotiations broke down.· The prisoners were rioting against their appalling conditions.
to protest about the actions of a company, country, or industry by refusing to buy something, or refusing to go to a place or event: · They may boycott the next Olympic Games.· Shoppers are boycotting battery-farmed eggs.
to protest by refusing to leave a place: · The students have been staging a sit-in to protest about overcrowding at the polytechnic.
(also go on hunger strike British English) to protest by refusing to eat: · Maynard went on a hunger strike to protest his innocence.
Longman Language Activatorto show publicly that you disagree with something if people protest about something, they show that they think it is wrong or unfair, for example by holding public meetings or writing letters to politicians: · When the army took power, huge crowds gathered in the capital to protest.protest about/against: · Prisoners had climbed onto the roof to protest about conditions in the jail.protest something American: · a huge crowd of students protesting the globalization of trade
to protest about something in an organized way, by having a large outdoor meeting or by marching through the streets: · Thousands of people demonstrated outside the parliament building last night.demonstrate against: · Thousands of workers and students demonstrated against US involvement in the war.
to walk with a large group of people from one place to another, in order to show that you do not agree with something: march through/to etc: · Over ten thousand workers marched through the capital demanding higher wages.march on: · Several thousand people marched on the French embassy.
to not buy something, not go somewhere, or not take part in an event, in order to protest about the actions of a country or company: · Students have threatened to boycott certain banks as a protest at their investment policies.· Several countries have said they may boycott next year's Olympic Games.
if a large group of people riot , they protest about something by fighting the police, damaging public buildings, or setting fire to things: · Prisoners in several jails have rioted in protest at their appalling conditions.· Gangs of youths rioted for two nights on the streets of the capital.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Police used live ammunition to quell the disturbances.
if a crowd of people riot, they behave in a violent and uncontrolled way, for example by fighting the police and damaging cars or buildings: · Riot police moved in with tear gas.
Police used live ammunition to quell the disturbances. University students rioted in protest at tuition fees.—rioting noun [uncountable]—rioter noun [countable]