based

1 The major part of something

PRODUCTIVE USE: -based combines with nouns to form adjectives.
Adjectives formed in this way express the idea that the thing
referred to by the original noun is the most important part or
feature of something. For example, an 'acid-based' powder has acid
as its main ingredient; 'computer-based' teaching relies heavily on
the use of computers.
Here are some examples of words with this meaning:
acid-based export-based mercury-based project-based
cash-based fuel-based money-based property-based
class-based hydrogen-based nitrogen-based protein-based
coal-based lead-based nuclear-based science-based
computer-based leisure-based oil-based
service-based education-based market-based
petroleum-based water-based
2 The basis of something
-based combines with adjectives and adverbs
such as 'broad' 'broadly', 'widely', and 'solidly'
to form adjectives. Adjectives formed in this
way describe the qualities of the basis of
something rather than telling you what it is
composed of. The adjectives formed typically
describe such things as governments, beliefs,
and movements.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
broad-based firmly-based soundly-based
broadly-based solidly-based widely-based
-based 3 Places
PRODUCTIVE USE: -based combines with nouns and adjectives that refer
to places, or with adjectives of nationality, to form new adjectives.
Adjectives formed in this way describe something as being
positioned or existing mainly in a particular place, or as being
organized from that place. For example, if an industry is 'British-
based', most of its operations take place in Britain.
Here are some examples of words with this meaning:
American-based foreign-based overseas-based
Belfast-based ground-based Paris-based
British-based home-based school-based
campus-based hospital-based Shanghai-based
city-based land-based shore-based
community-based London-based Swiss-based
country-based marine-based town-based
European-based ocean-based US-based
Be-
1 Wearing something or covered with something
be- occurs in adjectives that describe someone or something as
wearing something or being covered in a substance. For example,
someone who is 'bespectacled' is wearing spectacles; someone
who is 'bejewelled' is wearing jewels or is covered in jewels.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
bejewelled \bi- j-ld \ornamented with or as if with jewels
bespectacled /b spekt k()ld/ wearing glasses
bewigged artificial hair that you wear on your head
2 To cause to become
be- occurs in adjectives and transitive verbs which describe someone
or something as being in a particular state or going into that state.
For example, someone who is 'beloved' is loved by someone else; if
you 'belittle' someone or their achievements, you cause them to be
thought of as less important than they really are.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
becalmed
belie
bereaved /b ri vd / a bereaved person is someone whose close friend or family member has
recentlydied
betrothed /b tr d/ an old phrase meaning 'to be engaged to be married to someone'
bedraggled /b dr()ld/ wet, dirty, and untidy
belittle
besotted /b s td/
so attracted by someone or something that you are always thinking about them
bewildered/b wld(r)d/confused and not certain what to do
befuddled /b f d()ld/ very confused, and unable to think clearly
beloved
betray/b tre/
if you betray your country, or if you betray someone who needs your support, you
deliberately do something that harms themor helps their opponents
bewitched /b wt/to control someone's behavior with magic
beguile /bal/ to persuade or trick someone into doing something, especially by saying nice
things to them
bemused/b mju zd / confused
betrothal/b tr ()l/ an old word meaning 'engagement' to get married
bewitching/b wt/ to control someone's behavior with magic
3 Transitive verbs
be- occurs in a number of other transitive verbs. For example, if you 'befriend' someone, you help them
and look after them as if they were your friend; to 'behold' something means to see or notice it; if
soldiers 'besiege' a place, they surround it in an attempt to capture it.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
befriend
beleaguered /b li(r)d/ having a lot of problems or criticismto deal with
berate /b ret/ to talk to someone in an angry way because they have
done something wrong
besiege/b sid/to surround a place with an army and prevent the people there fromgetting foodand
supplies, as a way of getting control of it
begrudge /brd/
to feel annoyed because someone has got something that you want, and youthink they do not dese
rve it
bemoan /bmn/to complain or say that you are disappointed about something
beseech /b si t / to ask someone for something in an urgent and sincere way
bestow/bst/to give valuable property or an important right or honour to
someone
behold /b hld/ to see something
bequeath /b kwi/to give someone money or property after you die by making a
legal documentcalled a will
beset /b set / to cause someone difficulty or danger over a period of time
bewail /b wel/to complain strongly about something that makes you sad, disappointed, or upset
Bi- 1Two
bi- occurs in words which have 'two' as part of their meaning. For example, a 'bicycle'
is a vehicle with two wheels; someone who is 'bilingual' can speak two languages
fluently.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
bicarbonate \( )b - kr -b- nt, -nt\ an acid carbonate
bifocals /ba f k()lz/a pair of glasses with special
lenses that let you see things that are near if youlook through the bottompart, and se
e things that are far away if you look throughthe top part
bilingual
biplane/ ba plen/an old-fashioned type of plane with two sets of wings
bicentenary
bigamy/ bmi/the crime of being married to more than one person at the same tim
e
binary / ba nri/ consisting of two parts
bisect/ ba sekt/ to divide something into two equal halves, especially in mathematic
s
bicycle
bilateral /ba lt( )rl/
a bilateral agreement or activity is one that involves two groups or countries
binoculars/b nkjl(r)z/a piece of equipment with two parts that you hold against y
our eyes and lookthrough to see distant objects more clearly
bio- 2 Twice
bio- can also be used to indicate that something happens twice during a particular period of time or
once every two periods of time. For example, a 'biennial' event happens every two years.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
bi-annual bi-annually biennial bi-monthly bi-weekly
bio- occurs in words which have life' or living things' as part of their meaning. For example, a 'biography'
is a written account of someone's life; 'biology' is a science which describes and classifies living
things.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
antibiotics/ ntiba tk/a drug that cures illnesses and infections caused by bacteria
biochemistry
biologist
biosphere/ ba sf (r)/the parts of the Earth's surface and atmosphere where plant and
animal life canexist
autobiography
biodegradable / ba dredb()l/
biodegradable substances can be separated into very small parts by bacteria sothat they are not har
mful to the environment
biology
biosystem
biochemical
biography
biopsy / ba psi/ a medical test in which cells are taken fromyour body and examined
to find out ifthey are healthy
symbiotic / s mbatk/ a close relationship between two different things or people fromwhich both
getbenefits
-bound 1 Restrictions
-bound combines with nouns to form adjectives.
Adjectives formed in this way describe
someone or something as being restricted or
limited by the thing referred to by the original
noun. For example, someone who is
'housebound' cannot leave their home,
perhaps because they are ill or very old;
something that is 'culture-bound' is restricted
by the culture in which it occurs.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
class-bound
earthbound
housebound
culture-bound
fog-bound \fog-baund, fg -\ unable to move or travel
because of fog
snowbound
desk-bound \ desk -baund\ having a job that requires you to
be at a desk
home-bound
tradition-bound
duty-bound
honour-bound
wheelchair-bound
2 Direction
-bound combines with nouns that refer to places, or with adverbs and
adjectives that express direction, to form new adjectives. Adjectives
formed in this way describe someone or something as travelling to
that place or in that direction. For example, a 'southbound' train is
heading towards the south; 'London-bound' passengers are
travelling to London.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
earthbound / (r) band/ unable to fly
inbound /nband/ travelling towards a station or an airport
southbound
eastbound
London-bound
westbound
home-bound
northbound
homeward-bound (in the direction of home)
outbound/ a t ba nd/travelling away froma particular place
3- Coverings and books
-bound combines with some nouns to form adjectives which indicate the sort
of covering that something has: these adjectives are mainly used to
describe books. For example, a leather-bound' book has a leather cover.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
brass-bound /brsband/a shiny yellowmetal that is used for making musical instrumentsand
objects such as door handles. It is a mixture of copper and zinc
cloth-bound
metal-bound
cardboard-bound
leather-bound
paper-bound
Words with other meanings
hidebound / ha d ba nd/ not willing to change habits or ideas
muscle-bound\ m-sl-bau nd\having some of the muscles tense and
enlarged and of impaired elasticity sometimes as a result of excessive
exercise
spellbound / spel ba nd/so impressed by something that you do not pay att
ention to anything else
cardi-
cardi-occurs in words which have 'heart' as part of their
meaning. For example, a 'cardiac' arrest is a heart
attack; a 'cardiologist' is a doctor who deals with heart
disease.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
cardiac / k (r)dik/ connected with your heart
cardiologist / k (r)dildst/a doctor who studies the
heart and deals with the diseases that affect it
cardiograph / k (r)di grf / an instrument that
graphically registers movements of the heart
electrocardiogram/ lektr k (r)di rm/a machin
e used in hospitals for showing how well someone's he
art is beating.
cent-
cent- occurs in words which indicate that something has a hundred parts. For example, a 'century' is a
period of a hundred years; a 'percentage' is a fraction of a hundred.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
bicentenary/ ba sen ti n ri/the day or year exactly 200 years after an important event, or a celebrati
on of this
centenary /sen ti n ri/a day or year that people celebrate exactly 100 years after an important event
centimetre / sent mi t (r)/a unit for measuring length in the metric system. There are 100 centimetr
es inone metre.
percent \pr- sent \ in the hundred : of each hundred
bicentennial / ba sen teni l/the day or year exactly 200 years after an important event, or a celebratio
n of this
centennial /sen teni l/a centenary
centipede / sent pi d/ a very small insect with a long narrowbody and many pairs of legs
percentage /p(r) sent d/an amount or rate that is equal to a particularpart of a total that you have di
vided by 100
centenarian / sent nerin/someone who is 100 years old or older
centigrade / sent red/a systemfor measuring temperature that is part of the metric system, in whic
hwater freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees
century/ sent ri/a period of 100 years, usually counted froma year ending in
00.For example, the 20th century is the period from1900 to 1999
-centric
-centric occurs in adjectives which describe something as being
centered on a particular thing or involving a particular thing. For
example, if someone has an 'anthropocentric' outlook, they regard
people as the most important thing in the universe; if something is
'heliocentric', it has the sun at its centre.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
anthropocentric / nrp sentr k/
considering that people are more important than anything else in th
e world
egocentric / i sentr k/
behaving as if you are more important than other people, and need
not care aboutthem
Eurocentric / j r sentr k/
showing the belief that Europe is the most important part of the wo
rld, or that therest of the world is the same as Europe
heliocentric\ h-l-- sen-trik\referred to or measured from the sun's
center or appearing as if seen from it
chron-
chron- occurs in words which have 'time' as part of their meaning. For example, the 'chronology' of a number
of past events is the order in which they occurred; if two events are 'synchronized', they occur at the same
time.
Note that chron- sometimes occurs in the middle of words.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
synchronized / s krnaz/to make two or more things happen or move at the same time orspeed
anachronism/ nkr nz()m/something that is no longer suitable for or relevant to modern times
anachronistic / nkr nz()m/something that is no longer suitable for or relevant to modern times
chronic/ kr nk/a chronic illness or chronic pain is serious and lasts for a long time. Aserious illness or pain tha
t lasts only for a short time is described as acute
chronometer /kr nmt(r)/a piece of equipment that measures time accurately
synchronic /s kr nk/relating to the study of something, especially a language, at one particular timewithou
t considering its history
synchronize / s krnaz/ to make two or more things happen or move at the same time orspeed
chronicle/ kr nk()l/a record of events that happened in the past, in the order in which they happened
chronological / kr n l dk()l/arranged or described in the order in which events happened
chronology /kr nldi/ the order in which a series of events happened or will happen
Note that 'chronic' has another meaning, and is used to describe a very bad or unpleasant situation.
-cide
-cide occurs in words which have 'killing' as part of their meaning. For example, an 'insecticide' is a
chemical that kills insects; if someone commits 'suicide', they kill themselves.
Here is a list of words with this meaning;
fratricide/ frtr sad/ the crime in which someone kills their own brother/a person who kills their ow
n brother
herbicide / h (r)bsad/a chemical used for killing weeds (=plants that are not wanted)
insecticide /n sekt sad/a chemical for killing insects, especially those that damage plants or crops
pesticide/ pest sad/a chemical used for killing insects, especially those that damage crops
fungicide / f sad/a substance used for killing a fungus(a type of plant without leaves, flowers, or gr
een colour )
homicide hmsad/the crime of killing someone
parricide/ pr sad/the murder of a parent or other close relative
regicide/ redsad/ the act of killing a king
genocide/ densad/the murder of large numbers of people belonging to a particular race
infanticide/n fnt sad/the crime of killing a baby or a very young child
patricide/ ptr sad/the crime of killing your father
spermicide / sp (r)msad/a creamthat kills sperm, used during sex to prevent a woman frombecom
ingpregnant
suicide / susad/the action of deliberately killing yourself
cine-
cine- occurs in words which have 'motion pictures' or 'films' as
part of their meaning. For example, a 'cinema' is a place
where you go to watch films; a 'cine-camera' is a camera
which takes moving pictures rather than still photographs.
Here is a list of words with this meaning;
Cine-camera / s ni
km( )r/a camera used in the past for producing moving pictures on film
cine-film
cinema
cinematic / s n mt k/relating to films
cinematography/ s nm t rfi/the job or skill of making fi
lms
circum-
circum- occurs in words which have 'around' as part of their meaning. For example, the 'circumference'
of a circle, place, or round object is its edge or the line around it.
Here is a list of words with this meaning:
circumcise / s (r)k msaz/to remove the skin at the end of a boy's or man's penis for religious or medical reasons
circumference /s(r) k mf()rns/the distance measured around the edge of a circle or
a round object or area
Circumflex/ s (r)k m fleks/ the symbol ^ written above a vowel in some languages such as French. Aci
rcumflex often makes the sound of a vowel longer.
circumlocution / s (r)k ml kju()n/ the use of too many words to say something, especially in ord
er to avoid sayingsomething clearly
circumnavigate/ s (r)k m nv et/to sail or fly completely around something, especially the worl
d or an island
Circumscribe/ s (r)k m skra b/ to limit something such as power, rights, or opportunities/to draw a l
ine around something
circumspect/ s (r)k m spekt/ thinking carefully about something before you say or do it
circumstantial/ s (r)k m stn()l/LEGAL circumstantial evidence makes it seem likely that somethin
g is true butdoes not prove it/relating to a particular circumstance
circumvent/ s (r)k m vent/ to find a way of avoiding a rule or law that limits you, especially using a cl
ever trickthat does not break the law/to go around something that is stopping you going where you
want