explain
explain: v.tr.
1 make clear or intelligible with detailed information etc. (also absol. : let me explain).
2 (foll. by that + clause) say by way of explanation.
3 account for (one's conduct etc.). øexplain away minimize the significance of (a difficulty or mistake) by explanation. explain onesel.
1 make one's meaning clear.
2 give an account of one's motives or conduct. øøexplainable adj. explainer n. [L explanare (as EX-(1), planus flat, assim. to PLAIN(1))]

extraordinary
extraordinary: adj.
1 unusual or remarkable; out of the usual course.
2 unusually great (an extraordinary talent).
3 a (of an official etc.) additional; specially employed (envoy extraordinary). b (of a meeting) specially convened. øøextraordinarily adv. extraordinariness n. [L extraordinarius f. extra ordinem outside the usual order]

examination
examination: n.
1 the act or an instance of examining; the state of being examined.
2 a detailed inspection.
3 the testing of the proficiency or knowledge of students or other candidates for a qualification by oral or written questions.
4 an instance of examining or being examined medically.
5 Law the formal questioning of the accused or of a witness in court. øexamination pape.
1 the printed questions in an examination.
2 a candidate's set of answers. øøexaminational adj. [ME f. OF f. L examinatio -onis (as EXAMINE)]

entrepreneur
entrepreneur: n.
1 a person who undertakes an enterprise or business, with the chance of profit or loss.
2 a contractor acting as an intermediary.
3 the person in effective control of a commercial undertaking. øøentrepreneurial adj. entrepreneurialism n. (also entrepreneurism). entrepreneurially adv. entrepreneurship n. [F f. entreprendre undertake: see ENTERPRISE]

enjoyable
enjoyable: adj. pleasant; giving enjoyment. øøenjoyability n. enjoyableness n. enjoyably adv.

estoppageelementary
elementary: adj.
1 a dealing with or arising from the simplest facts of a subject; rudimentary, introductory. b simple.
2 Chem. not decomposable. øelementary particle Physics any of several subatomic particles supposedly not decomposable into simpler ones. elementary school a school in which elementary subjects are taught to young children. øøelementarily adv. elementariness n. [ME f. L elementarius (as ELEMENT)]

entreat
entreat: v.tr.
1 a (foll. by to + infin. or that + clause) ask (a person) earnestly. b ask earnestly for (a thing).
2 archaic treat; act towards (a person). øøentreatingly adv. [ME f. OF entraiter (as EN-(1), traiter TREAT)]

easygoing
easygoing: adj.
1 placid and tolerant; relaxed in manner; accepting things as they are.
2 (of a horse) having an easy gait.

expectation
expectation: n.
1 the act or an instance of expecting or looking forward.
2 something expected or hoped for.
3 (foll. by of) the probability of an event.
4 (in pl.) one's prospects of inheritance. [L expectatio (as EXPECT)]

election
election: n.
1 the process of electing or being elected, esp. of members of a political body.
2 the act or an instance of electing. [ME f. OF f. L electio -onis (as ELECT)]

ecclesiastic
ecclesiastic: n. & adj. --n. a priest or clergyman. --adj. = ECCLESIASTICAL. øøecclesiasticism n. [F eccl÷siastique or LL ecclesiasticus f. Gk ekklesiastikos f. ekklesia assembly, church: see ECCLESIAL]

evening
evening: n. & int. --n.
1 the end part of the day, esp. from abou.
6 p.m. to bedtime (this evening; during the evening; evening meal).
2 this time spent in a particular way (had a lively evening).
3 a time compared with this, esp. the last part of a person's life. --int. = good evening (see GOOD adj. 14). øevening dress formal dress for evening wear. evening primrose any plant of the genus Oenothera with pale yellow flowers that open in the evening. evening star a planet, esp. Venus, conspicuous in the west after sunset. [OE ófnung, rel. to EVEN(2)]

evident
evident: adj.
1 plain or obvious (visually or intellectually); manifest.
2 seeming, apparent (his evident anxiety). [ME f. OF evident or L evidere evident- (as E-, videre see)]

especially
especially: adv. chiefly; much more than in other cases.

emulatoreccentric
eccentric: adj. & n. --adj.
1 odd or capricious in behaviour or appearance; whimsical.
2 a not placed, not having its axis etc. placed centrally. b (often foll. by to) (of a circle) not concentric (to another). c (of an orbit) not circular. --n.
1 an eccentric person.
2 Mech. an eccentric contrivance for changing rotatory into backward-and-forward motion, e.g. the cam used in an internal-combustion engine. øøeccentrically adv. eccentricity n. (pl. -ies). [LL eccentricus f. Gk ekkentros f. ek out of + kentros CENTRE]

exposure
exposure: n. (foll. by to.
1 the act or condition of exposing or being exposed (to air, cold, danger, etc.).
2 the condition of being exposed to the elements, esp. in severe conditions (died from exposure).
3 the revelation of an identity or fact, esp. when concealed or likely to find disapproval.
4 Photog. a the action of exposing a film etc. to the light. b the duration of this action. c the area of film etc. affected by it.
5 an aspect or outlook (has a fine southern exposure). øexposure meter Photog. a device for measuring the strength of the light to determine the correct duration of exposure. [EXPOSE after enclosure etc.]

expression
expression: n.
1 the act or an instance of expressing.
2 a word or phrase expressed.
3 Math. a collection of symbols expressing a quantity.
4 a person's facial appearance or intonation of voice, esp. as indicating feeling.
5 depiction of feeling, movement, etc., in art.
6 conveying of feeling in the performance of a piece of music. øexpression-mark Mus. a sign or word indicating the required manner of performance. øøexpressional adj. expressionless adj. expressionlessly adv. expressionlessness n. [ME f. OF expression or L expressio f. exprimere: see EXPRESS(1) )]

earache
earache: n. a (usu. prolonged) pain in the ear.

equivalent
equivalent: adj. & n. --adj.
1 (often foll. by to) equal in value, amount, importance, etc.
2 corresponding.
3 (of words) having the same meaning.
4 having the same result.
5 Chem. (of a substance) equal in combining or displacing capacity. --n.
1 an equivalent thing, amount, word, etc.
2 (in full equivalent weight) Chem. the weight of a substance that can combine with or displace one gram of hydrogen or eight grams of oxygen. øøequivalence n. equivalency n. equivalently adv. [ME f. OF f. LL aequivalere (as EQUI-, valere be worth)]

examineeeccrine
eccrine: adj. (of a gland, e.g. a sweat gland) secreting without loss of cell material. [Gk ek out of + krino sift]

effective
effective: adj. & n. --adj.
1 having a definite or desired effect.
2 powerful in effect; impressive.
3 a actual; existing in fact rather than officially or theoretically (took effective control in their absence). b actually usable; realizable; equivalent in its effect (effective money; effective demand).
4 coming into operation (effective as fro.
1 May).
5 (of manpower) fit for work or service. --n. a soldier available for service. øøeffectively adv. effectiveness n. [ME f. L effectivus (as EFFECT)]

exerciserextract
extract: v. & n. --v.tr.
1 remove or take out, esp. by effort or force (anything firmly rooted).
2 obtain (money, an admission, etc.) with difficulty or against a person's will.
3 obtain (a natural resource) from the earth.
4 select or reproduce for quotation or performance (a passage of writing, music, etc.).
5 obtain (juice etc.) by suction, pressure, distillation, etc.
6 derive (pleasure etc.).
7 Math. find (the root of a number).
8 archaic deduce (a principle etc.). --n.
1 a short passage taken from a book, piece of music, etc.; an excerpt.
2 a preparation containing the active principle of a substance in concentrated form (malt extract). øøextractable adj. extractability n. [L extrahere extract- (as EX-(1), trahere draw)]

elephant
elephant: n. (pl. same or elephants.
1 the largest living land animal, of which two species survive, the larger African (Loxodonta africana) and the smaller Indian (Elephas maximus), both with a trunk and long curved ivory tusks.
2 a size of paper (711 x 584 mm). øelephant grass any of various tall African grasses, esp. Pennisetum purpureum. elephant seal = sea elephant. elephant shrew any small insect-eating mammal of the family Macroscelididae, native to Africa, having a long snout and long hind limbs. øøelephantoid adj. [ME olifaunt etc. f. OF oli-, elefant ult. f. L elephantus, elephans f. Gk elephas -antos ivory, elephant]

exhaust
exhaust: v. & n. --v.tr.
1 consume or use up the whole of.
2 (often as exhausted adj. or exhausting adj.) use up the strength or resources of; tire out.
3 study or expound on (a subject) completely.
4 (often foll. by of) empty (a vessel etc.) of its contents. --n.
1 a waste gases etc. expelled from an engine after combustion. b (also exhaust-pipe) the pipe or system by which these are expelled. c the process of expulsion of these gases.
2 a the production of an outward current of air by the creation of a partial vacuum. b an apparatus for this. øøexhauster n. exhaustible adj. exhaustibility n. exhaustibly adv. [L exhaurire exhaust- (as EX-(1), haurire draw (water), drain)]

etiquette
etiquette: n.
1 the conventional rules of social behaviour.
2 a the customary behaviour of members of a profession towards each other. b the unwritten code governing this (medical etiquette). [F ÷tiquette label, etiquette]

enclosure
enclosure: n. (also inclosure.
1 the act of enclosing, esp. of common land.
2 Brit. an enclosed space or area, esp. for a special class of persons at a sporting event.
3 a thing enclosed with a letter.
4 an enclosing fence etc. [AF & OF (as ENCLOSE)]

emperor
emperor: n.
1 the sovereign of an empire.
2 a sovereign of higher rank than a king. øemperor moth a large moth, Saturnia pavonia, of the silk-moth family, with eye-spots on all four wings. emperor penguin the largest known penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri, of the Antarctic. øøemperorship n. [ME f. OF emperere, empereor f. L imperator -oris f. imperare command]

earthly
earthly: adj.
1 of the earth or human life on earth; terrestrial.
2 (usu. with neg.) colloq. remotely possible or conceivable (is no earthly use; there wasn't an earthly reason). ønot an earthly colloq. no chance whatever. øøearthliness n.

extremelyeureka
eureka: int. & n. --int. I have found it! (announcing a discovery etc.). --n. the exultant cry of 'eureka'. [Gk heureka 1st pers. sing. perfect of heurisko find: attributed to Archimedes]

enough
enough: adj., n., adv., & int. --adj. as much or as many as required (we have enough apples; we do not have enough sugar; earned enough money to buy a house). --n. an amount or quantity that is enough (we have enough of everything now; enough is as good as a feast). --adv.
1 to the required degree, adequately (are you warm enough?).
2 fairly (she sings well enough).
3 very, quite (you know well enough what I mean; oddly enough). --int. that is enough (in various senses, esp. to put an end to an action, thing said, etc.). øhave had enough of want no more of; be satiated with or tired of. [OE genog f. Gmc]

essence
essence: n.
1 the indispensable quality or element identifying a thing or determining its character; fundamental nature or inherent characteristics.
2 a an extract obtained by distillation etc., esp. a volatile oil. b a perfume or scent, esp. made from a plant or animal substance.
3 the constituent of a plant that determines its chemical properties.
4 an abstract entity; the reality underlying a phenomenon or all phenomena. øin essence fundamentally. of the essence indispensable, vital. [ME f. OF f. L essentia f. esse be]

embassy
embassy: n. (pl. -ies.
1 a the residence or offices of an ambassador. b the ambassador and staff attached to an embassy.
2 a deputation or mission to a foreign country. [earlier ambassy f. OF ambass÷e etc. f. med.L ambasciata f. Rmc (as AMBASSADOR)]

ever
ever: adv.
1 at all times; always (ever hopeful; ever after).
2 at any time (have you ever been to Paris?; nothing ever happens; as good as ever).
3 as an emphatic word: a in any way; at all (how ever did you do it?; when will they ever learn?). b (prec. by as) in any manner possible (be as quick as ever you can).
4 (in comb.) constantly (ever-present; ever-recurring).
5 (foll. by so, such) Brit. colloq. very; very much (is ever so easy; was ever such a nice man; thanks ever so).
6 (foll. by compar.) constantly, increasingly (grew ever larger). ødid you ever? colloq. did you ever hear or see the like? ever since throughout the period since. for eve.
1 for all future time.
2 colloq. for a long time (cf. FOREVER). [OE ófre]

esquire
esquire: n.
1 (usu. as abbr. Esq.) Brit. a title appended to a man's surname when no other form of address is used, esp. as a form of address for letters.
2 archaic = SQUIRE. [ME f. OF esquier f. L scutarius shield-bearer f. scutum shield]

excite
excite: v.tr.
1 a rouse the feelings or emotions of (a person). b bring into play; rouse up (feelings, faculties, etc.). c arouse sexually.
2 provoke; bring about (an action or active condition).
3 promote the activity of (an organism, tissue, etc.) by stimulus.
4 Electr. a cause (a current) to flow in the winding of an electromagnet. b supply a signal.
5 Physics a cause the emission of (a spectrum). b cause (a substance) to emit radiation. c put (an atom etc.) into a state of higher energy. øøexcitant adj. & n. excitative adj. excitatory adj. excitedly adv. excitedness n. excitement n. exciter n. (esp. in senses 4, 5). [ME f. OF exciter or L excitare frequent. of exciere (as EX-(1), ciere set in motion)]

enlightenment
enlightenment: n.
1 the act or an instance of enlightening; the state of being enlightened.
2 (the Enlightenment) the 18th-c. philosophy emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition.

earwax
earwax: n. a yellow waxy secretion produced by the ear, = CERUMEN.

equation
equation: n.
1 the process of equating or making equal; the state of being equal.
2 Math. a statement that two mathematical expressions are equal (indicated by the sign =).
3 Chem. a formula indicating a chemical reaction by means of symbols for the elements taking part. øequation of the first order, second order , etc. an equation involving only the first derivative, second derivative, etc. øøequational adj. [ME f. OF equation or L aequatio (as EQUATE)]

establishment
establishment: n.
1 the act or an instance of establishing; the process of being established.
2 a a business organization or public institution. b a place of business. c a residence.
3 a the staff or equipment of an organization. b a household.
4 any organized body permanently maintained for a purpose.
5 a Church system organized by law.
6 (the Establishment) a the group in a society exercising authority or influence, and seen as resisting change. b any influential or controlling group (the literary Establishment).

economics
economics: n.pl. (treated as sing..
1 a the science of the production and distribution of wealth. b the application of this to a particular subject (the economics of publishing).
2 the condition of a country etc. as regards material prosperity.

emerald
emerald: n.
1 a bright-green precious stone, a variety of beryl.
2 (also emerald green) the colour of this. øEmerald Isle literary Ireland. øøemeraldine adj. [ME f. OF emeraude, esm-, ult. f. Gk smaragdos]

efficient
efficient: adj.
1 productive with minimum waste or effort.
2 (of a person) capable; acting effectively. øefficient cause Philos. an agent that brings a thing into being or initiates a change. øøefficiently adv. [ME f. L efficere (as EX-(1), facere make, accomplish)]

estrogen
estrogen: US var. of OESTROGEN.

ephedra
ephedra: n. any evergreen shrub of the genus Ephedra, with trailing stems and scalelike leaves. [mod.L f. Gk ephedra sitting upon]

edit
edit: v. & n. --v.tr. (edited, editing.
1 a assemble, prepare, or modify (written material, esp. the work of another or others) for publication. b prepare an edition of (an author's work).
2 be in overall charge of the content and arrangement of (a newspaper, journal, etc.).
3 take extracts from and collate (films, tape-recordings, etc.) to form a unified sequence.
4 a prepare (data) for processing by a computer. b alter (a text entered in a word processor etc.).
5 a reword to correct, or to alter the emphasis. b (foll. by out) remove (part) from a text etc. --n.
1 a a piece of editing. b an edited item.
2 a facility for editing. [F ÷diter (as EDITION): partly a back-form. f. EDITOR]

excellent
excellent: adj. extremely good; pre-eminent. øøexcellently adv. [ME f. OF (as EXCEL)]

exponent
exponent: n. & adj. --n.
1 a person who favours or promotes an idea etc.
2 a representative or practitioner of an activity, profession, etc.
3 a person who explains or interprets something.
4 an executant (of music etc.).
5 a type or representative.
6 Math. a raised symbol or expression beside a numeral indicating how many times it is to be multiplied by itself (e.g. 2(3) .
2 .
2 x 2). --adj. that sets forth or interprets. [L exponere (as EX-(1), ponere posit- put)]