British English

different

dif‧fe‧rent S1 W1 /ˈdɪfərənt/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: verb: ↑differ, ↑differentiate; noun: ↑difference, ↑differentiation; adverb: ↑differently; adjective: ↑different]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: différer; ⇨ ↑differ]
1. not like something or someone else, or not like before OPP similar
different from
Our sons are very different from each other.
different to
Her jacket’s different to mine.
different than American English:
He seemed different than he did in New York.
The place looks completely different now.
They decided to try a radically different approach.
We found women had significantly different political views from men.
a slightly different way of doing things
What actually happened was subtly different from the PR people’s version.
The show is refreshingly different from most exhibitions of modern art.
The publishing business is no different from any other business in this respect.
It’s a different world here in London.
GRAMMAR
In spoken British English, different from and different to are both common. Different than is also used in American English and occasionally in British English, especially when it is followed by a clause:
▪ He looks no different than when he was 20. Teachers prefer different from, so from is the preposition to use in writing:
▪ Their homes are completely different from ours.

► Do not say 'different of'.
2. [only before noun] used to talk about two or more separate things of the same basic kind SYN various:
Different people reacted in different ways.
different types/kinds etc
There are many different types of fabric.
I looked in lots of different books but couldn’t find anything about it.
3. [only before noun] another:
I think she’s moved to a different job now.
4. spoken unusual, often in a way that you do not like:
‘What did you think of the film?’ ‘Well, it was certainly different.’
—differently adverb:
I didn’t expect to be treated any differently from anyone else.
Things could have turned out quite differently.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ different if something or someone is different, they are not like something or someone else, or they are not like they were before: You look different. Have you had your hair cut? | We’ve painted the door a different colour. | The cultures of the two countries are very different.
▪ unique very different, special, or unusual and the only one of its kind. Don’t use words such as very before unique: The book is certainly very rare, and possibly unique. | the unique wildlife of the Galapagos Islands
▪ distinctive having a special feature or appearance that makes something different from other things, and makes it easy to recognize: Male birds have distinctive blue and yellow markings.
▪ unlike [prep] completely different from a particular person or thing: In Britain, unlike the United States, the government provides health care.
▪ have nothing in common if two people have nothing in common, they do not have the same interests or opinions and therefore cannot form a friendly relationship: Apart from the fact that we went to the same school, we have absolutely nothing in common.
▪ there’s no/little resemblance used when saying that two people or things seem very different: There’s no resemblance between the two sisters at all. | The final product bore no resemblance to the original proposal (=it was very different).
▪ dissimilar formal not the same as something else: These four politically dissimilar states have all signed a treaty of friendship and cooperation.
▪ be like chalk and cheese British English informal if two people are like chalk and cheese, they are completely different: It’s hard to believe that they’re brothers – they’re like chalk and cheese!
▪ be (like) apples and oranges American English informal used when saying that two people or things are very different: You can't compare residential and commercial real estate markets. It's apples and oranges. | Obama and Romney are apples and oranges. | Comparing homemade soup to canned soup is really comparing apples and oranges.

fiancée

fi‧an‧cée /fiˈɒnseɪ $ ˌfiːɑːnˈseɪ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: fiancé used for females]
the woman who a man is going to marry
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ girlfriend a girl or woman that you have a romantic relationship with, especially for a fairly long time: Katherine was his first girlfriend.
▪ partner the person you are married to, or the person you are living with and having a sexual relationship with: He brought his partner along to the party.
▪ old flame informal someone who was your girlfriend or boyfriend in the past: I found a love letter from one of his old flames.
▪ mistress a woman that a man has a sexual relationship with even though he is married to someone else. Often used when the man is famous or powerful: The president had a mistress for many years.
▪ lover someone who you have a sexual relationship with, but who you are not married to: He was going to meet his secret lover.
▪ fiancée the woman who a man is going to marry: Rod plans to marry his fiancée later this year.
▪ ex informal a man's former wife or girlfriend: My ex looks after the children on Thursdays.
▪ be going out with somebody if you are going out with a girl or woman, she is your girlfriend: She's going out with a guy she met at work.

fiancé

fi‧an‧cé /fiˈɒnseɪ $ ˌfiːɑːnˈseɪ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: past participle of fiancer 'to promise (in marriage)']
the man who a woman is going to marry
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ boyfriend a boy or man that you have a romantic relationship with, especially for a fairly long time: Josh was my first boyfriend.
▪ partner the person you are married to, or the person you are living with and having a sexual relationship with: Sweden allows gay partners to receive many of the same benefits that married couples get. | Partners are also welcome.
▪ fiancé the man whom a woman is going to marry: Her fiancé was killed in the war.
▪ lover someone who you have a sexual relationship with, without being married to them: A few nights later, they became lovers.
▪ ex informal a woman’s former husband or boyfriend: Her ex has caused a lot of trouble for her.
▪ old flame informal someone who was your boyfriend in the past: In a box in the closet, I found love letters from one of her old flames.
▪ man informal a woman’s husband or boyfriend: She’ll always stand by her man.
▪ sweetheart old-fashioned the person that you love: They were childhood sweethearts.
▪ beau old-fashioned a woman’s boyfriend or lover - a very old-fashioned use: Does she have a beau?
▪ toy boy informal humorous a young man who is having a sexual relationship with an older woman: A woman with a toy boy gets a lot more disapproving looks than a man with a younger woman.
▪ sugar daddy informal an older man who gives a younger woman presents and money in return for their company and often for sex: I can imagine her cashing checks from some mysterious sugar daddy.
▪ be going out with somebody if you are going out with a boy or man, you have him as your boyfriend: She’s been going out with Jack for a couple of months.
⇨ ↑girlfriend

II. sep‧a‧rate² S2 W2 /ˈsepəreɪt/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑separation, ↑separates, ↑separatist, ↑separatism, ↑separator, inseperability; adjective: ↑separable ≠ ↑inseparable, ↑separate, ↑separated; adverb: ↑inseparably, ↑separately; verb: ↑separate]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: past participle of separare, from se- 'apart' + parare 'to prepare, get']
1. BE BETWEEN [transitive] if something separates two places or two things, it is between them so that they are not touching each other
separate something from something
The lighthouse is separated from the land by a wide channel.
2. DIVIDE [intransitive and transitive] to divide or split into different parts, or to make something do this:
This will keep your dressing from separating.
separate from
At this point, the satellite separates from its launcher.
separate something into something
Separate the students into four groups.
First, separate the eggs (=divide the white part from the yellow part).
3. STOP LIVING TOGETHER [intransitive] if two people who are married or have been living together separate, they start to live apart:
Jill and John separated a year ago.
4. RECOGNIZE DIFFERENCE [transitive] to recognize that one thing or idea is different from another
separate something from something
She finds it difficult to separate fact from fantasy.
5. MOVE APART [intransitive and transitive] if people separate, or if someone or something separates them, they move apart:
Ed stepped in to separate the two dogs.
separate somebody from somebody/something
In the fog, they got separated from the group.
6. MAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING DIFFERENT [transitive] to be the quality or fact that makes someone or something different from other people or things
separate something from something
The capacity to think separates humans from animals.
7. BETTER/OLDER [transitive] if an amount separates two things, one thing is better or older than the other by that amount:
Three points now separate the two teams.
8. separate the men from the boys informal to show clearly which people are brave, strong, or skilled, and which are not
9. separate the sheep from the goats British English (also separate the wheat from the chaff) to separate the good things from the bad things
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to make something separate
▪ separate verb [transitive] to divide something into two or more parts or groups, or to divide one type of thing from another. You use separate especially when saying that the parts are different from each other: Motorola is planning to separate the company into two public companies. | The items are separated into recyclable and non-recyclable waste.
▪ divide verb [transitive] to make something become two or more parts or groups: The teacher divided us into groups. | The money was divided between them. | The house is divided into three apartments.
▪ split verb [transitive] to separate something into two or more groups, parts etc – used especially when each part is equal in size: The class was split into groups of six.
▪ break something up phrasal verb [transitive] to separate something into several smaller parts, especially to make it easier to deal with: The phone company was broken up to encourage competition. | Police used tear gas to break up the crowd.
▪ segregate verb [transitive] to separate one group of people from others because of race, sex, religion etc: Schools were racially segregated. | Some prisons segregate prisoners who are infected with HIV.
■ to become separate
▪ separate verb [intransitive] to divide into different parts, especially in a natural way: A watery liquid separates from the milk during cheesemaking.
▪ split verb [intransitive] to separate into two or more parts or groups – used especially when each part is equal in size: What happens when an atom splits?
▪ break up phrasal verb [intransitive] to separate into several smaller parts: In spring, the icebergs begin to break up.
separate somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. to divide a group of people or things into smaller groups:
We must separate out these different factors and examine each one.
2. to remove one type of thing or person from a group
separate somebody/something ↔ out from
Many older people may prefer not to be separated out from the rest of the adult population.

widow

wid‧ow /ˈwɪdəʊ $ -doʊ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: wuduwe]
1. a woman whose husband has died and who has not married again:
an elderly widow who was attacked and robbed last month
a wealthy widow
2. football/golf etc widow a woman whose husband spends all his free time watching football, playing golf etc – used humorously
• • •
THESAURUS
■ husband/wife etc
▪ husband/wife the man/woman you are married to: My wife’s a teacher.
▪ partner the person you live with and have a sexual relationship with. Partner is often used when people are not married, or when you do not know if they are married. It is also used when talking about same-sex couples: He lives with his partner Ruth and their eight-month-old son.
▪ fiancé/fiancée the man/woman you are engaged to: He and fiancée Wendy Hodgson will marry in July.
▪ divorcee a woman who is divorced: The Prince announced his intention to marry Mrs Wallis Simpson, an American divorcee.
▪ widow/widower a woman or man whose husband or wife has died: Imelda Marcos, the widow of the former President
▪ spouse formal your spouse is your husband or wife: The rule applies to spouses and children of military personnel.
▪ estranged wife/husband formal someone’s estranged husband or wife is one who they do not live with anymore: She is trying to get her sons back from her estranged husband.
 

envy

I. en‧vy¹ /ˈenvi/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle envied, present participle envying, third person singular envies) [transitive]
1. to wish that you had someone else’s possessions, abilities etc:
I really envy you and Ian, you seem so happy together.
She has a lifestyle which most people would envy.
envy somebody something
He envied Rosalind her youth and strength.
2. I don’t envy you/her etc spoken used to say that you are glad that you are not in the bad situation that someone else is in

tomorrow

I. to‧mor‧row¹ S1 W2 /təˈmɒrəʊ $ -ˈmɔːroʊ, -ˈmɑː-/ BrE AmE adverb
[Language: Old English; Origin: to morgen, from to 'to' + morgen 'morning']
on or during the day after today ⇨ yesterday, today:
Our class is going to London tomorrow.
a week from tomorrow (also a week tomorrow/tomorrow week )British English:
Terry’s new job starts a week tomorrow.
tomorrow morning/night etc
We’re meeting tomorrow evening.

pace

I. pace¹ W3 /peɪs/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pas 'step', from Latin passus]
1. SPEED OF EVENTS/CHANGES [singular] the speed at which something happens or is done
pace of
The pace of change in our lives is becoming faster and faster.
at a steady/slow etc pace
Public spending continues to rise at a steady pace.
2. WALK/RUN [singular] the speed at which someone walks, runs, or moves
pace of
You need to step up the pace of your exercises.
at a slow/leisurely/brisk etc pace
Lucy set off at a leisurely pace back to the hotel.
He quickened his pace, longing to be home.
Traffic slowed to a walking pace.
3. STEP [countable] a single step when you are running or walking, or the distance you move in one step
pace backwards/towards/forwards etc
He took a pace towards the door.
Rebecca walked a few paces behind her mum.
4. keep pace (with something/somebody) to change or increase as fast as something else, or to move as fast as someone else:
Salaries have not always kept pace with inflation.
The supply of materials cannot keep pace with demand.
Slow down! I can’t keep pace with you.
5. go through your paces (also show your paces) to show how well you can do something
6. put somebody/something through their paces to make a person, vehicle, animal etc show how well they can do something:
The test driver puts all the cars through their paces.
7. set the pace
a) if a company sets the pace, it does something before its competitors or to a better standard
set the pace in
Japanese firms have been setting the pace in electronic engineering.
b) (also set a brisk/cracking etc pace British English) to go faster than the other competitors in a race, who then try to achieve the same speed:
The Italians set the pace for the first eight laps.
8. force the pace to make something happen or develop more quickly than it would do normally
force the pace on
measures designed to force the pace on alternative energy policies
9. be able to stand the pace to be able to deal with situations where you are very busy and have to think and act very quickly:
If you can stand the pace, working in advertising pays well.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + pace
▪ rapid/fast The rapid pace of change creates uncertainty.
▪ slow The pace of life in the countryside is slower.
▪ a steady pace The economy was growing at a slow but steady pace.
▪ at your own pace (=at the pace that suits you) This allows each child to learn at his or her own pace.
▪ at a snail’s pace (=very slowly) Reform is proceeding at a snail’s pace.
▪ a breakneck pace (=extremely fast) Singapore prospered and modernized at a breakneck pace.
▪ a hectic/frantic pace (=a very fast and hurried speed) We worked at a hectic pace.
■ verbs
▪ the pace quickens/accelerates The pace of change is quickening.
▪ the pace slows/slackens After a surge in exports, the pace slackened considerably the following year.
▪ gather pace (=happen more quickly) Support for the campaign is gathering pace.
▪ keep up the pace (=continue to do something or happen as quickly as before) China's society is transforming but can it keep up the pace?
▪ keep up with the pace (=do something as fast as something else is happening or being done) It's essential that we constantly update our skills and keep up with the pace of change.
■ phrases
▪ the pace of change The pace of change accelerated dramatically in the early 1980s.
▪ the pace of life Here, the sun shines every day and the pace of life is slower.
▪ the pace of development The pace of development in computer graphics is amazing.
▪ the pace of reform Some senior party figures favor a slower pace of reform.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'in your own pace' or 'on your own pace'. Say at your own pace.