The EU in 10 Objects: The vacuum cleaner - BBC News
A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2
measure
US / ˈmeʒə(r) /
•UK / ˈmɛʒɚ /
- noun
- Plan to achieve a desired result
- Tool used to calculate the size of something
- verb
- To determine the value or importance of something
- To calculate size, weight or temperature of
but
US / bət /
•UK / bʌt,bət /
- conjunction
- Used before you say something different, opposite
our
US / 'aʊə(r) /
•UK / aʊr /
- determiner
- Belonging to us
cut
US / kʌt /
•UK / kʌt /
- noun
- Act/instance of reducing the size or amount of
- Small opening made using a sharp object, knife
- A wound on someone's skin caused by a sharp object
- verb
- To reduce the size or amount of something
- To use knife or scissors to divide, open surfaces
good
US / ɡʊd /
•UK / ɡʊd /
- adjecitve
- Proper, appropriate or right
- (Of an amount) enough; plenty
- Excellent; high quality
- Acting well or properly; of moral character
- In a positive or happy emotional state
- noun
- Advantage or benefit
want
US / wɔnt /
•UK / wɑnt, wɔnt /
- noun
- Something you desire or wish for
- State or condition of poverty
- verb
- To desire or wish for something; hope for a thing
pick
US / pɪk /
•UK / pɪk /
- noun
- Sharp tool used for breaking the ground
- Item selected from a group of choices
- verb
- To take fruit or vegetables from a plant or tree
- To decide on a thing from various choices; select
- To remove (flower, etc.) with your fingers
now
US / naʊ /
•UK / naʊ /
- adverb
- At the present time or moment
- Right away or in the next possible moment
- Used to refer to something that just happened
- Time between the present and a moment in the past
- conjunction
- Resulting from or because of something
take
US / teɪk /
•UK / tek /
- noun
- Filming of a single scene for TV or the movies
- verb
- To accept something that is offered
- To use a method of traveling, e.g. a bus or train
- To use a camera to make (a photo)
- To pick up something and go away with it
- To study a subject in school
- To attempt to pass (an exam)
- To require a certain amount of time, money, space
design
US / dɪˈzaɪn /
•UK / dɪˈzaɪn /
- noun
- The way something is planned, to fulfill a purpose
- verb
- To plan in a particular way to fulfill a purpose
- To think of a plan
look
US / lʊk /
•UK / lʊk /
- noun
- Person's beauty or physical attractiveness
- Particular style of dress, clothes, or appearance
- The way someone, something appears to be
- Act of searching for or examining something
- verb
- To appear to be; seem
they
US / ðeɪ /
•UK / ðe /
- pronoun
- Two or more people, animals, or things
bring
US / brɪŋ /
•UK / brɪŋ /
- verb
- To take or go with someone to a place
ago
US / əˈgəʊ /
•UK / əˈgoʊ /
- adverb
- At a specified length of time in the past
all
US / ɔ:l /
•UK / ɔl /
- adverb
- Completely; totally
- determiner
- Being every one of something
- pronoun
- 100% of something; the complete amount
union
US / 'ju:nɪən /
•UK / ˈjunjən /
- noun
- Act of joining two or more things into one
- Marriage
- Organization of workers to look after their needs
new
US / nju: /
•UK / nu, nju /
- adjecitve
- Not old, recently born, built or made
- Being or doing something for the first time
- Not felt, seen or known previously
- Having been recently bought or obtained
use
US / ju:s /
•UK / ju:s /
- noun
- Ability to employ something
- Need to enable it to work
- Permission to do something with something
- Act of spending money
- Operation of a machine for its function
- verb
- To have; to eat, drink, consume etc.
- To need to operate or work
- To operate a machine, e.g. a computer
- To treat a person badly
- To do something with, for a task or purpose
domestic
US / dəˈmestɪk /
•UK / dəˈmɛstɪk /
- adjecitve
- British informal fight between husband and wife
- Concerning your own home or house
- Concerning or made in your own country
- noun
- Someone paid to help with housework in your house
dust
US / dʌst /
•UK / dʌst /
- noun
- Fine dry powder that builds up on surfaces
- verb
- To apply a fine powder to, e.g. sugar to a cake
- To wipe something to remove dirt
this
US / ðɪs /
•UK / ðɪs /
- adjecitve
- Used to indicate something already been discussed
- Used to indicate something happening around now
- adverb
- An indication by a physical motion or gesture
- A specific amount of
- determiner
- Person, thing, or idea near you
- pronoun
- Person, thing that has already been discussed
follow
US / ˈfɔləu /
•UK / ˈfɑlo /
- verb
- To come after someone; be guided by someone
- To support someone, e.g. singer or comedian
- To be the logical result of something
- To happen after something else happens
- To believe a set of values or a moral teacher
- To understand something happening or being said
simply
US / ˈsɪmpli /
•UK / ˈsɪmpli /
- adverb
- In an easy or clear manner
the
US / ðə /
•UK / ðə /
- article
- Used to refer to something already mentioned
- Used to show there is only one of something
- determiner
- Used to describe all of a family
make
US / meɪk /
•UK / mek /
- noun
- Product made by a particular company; brand
- verb
- To arrange or prepare something e.g. dinner
- To get to (a place) on time
- To gain the status of (teacher, lawyer, etc.)
- To create something by putting things together
- To earn a certain amount of money at a job
- To cause or force a person to do something
- To cause something to happen or be formed
efficient
US / ɪˈfɪʃnt /
•UK / ɪˈfɪʃənt /
- adjecitve
- Able to produce results without waste
live
US / lɪv /
•UK / liv /
- adjecitve
- Being broadcast as events happen, not recorded
- Carrying electric current; able to give a shock
- Glowing because burning; hot
- Not yet killed (for food)
- adverb
- (Music, drama) as it is performed
- verb
- To be alive
- To experience a particular type of life
- To make your home in a house or town
able
US / 'eɪbl /
•UK / ˈebəl /
- adjecitve
- Skilled; good at something
- Having the ability to do something
power
US / 'paʊə(r) /
•UK / ˈpaʊɚ /
- noun
- Legal or official right to perform certain actions
- Ability to move forcefully and quickly
- Energy of something (e.g. electricity or fuel)
- Mathematical way to multiply a number
- Condition of being in political control
- Physical force, energy, and strength
- verb
- To give energy to something, e.g. by electricity
- To move something forcefully and quickly
year
US / jə: /
•UK / jɪr /
- noun
- Unit of time equal to 12 months or 365 or 366 days
- Used to refer to the age of a person
how
US / haʊ /
•UK / haʊ /
- adjecitve
- To what degree? in what amount?
- adverb
- (Used to explain the way to do something)
- exclamation
- For what purpose or reason?
- (Used to ask someone or something's condition)
order
US / 'ɔ:də(r) /
•UK / ˈɔrdɚ /
- noun
- Religious or social group, as of nuns
- Instructions to others to do what you want
- State in which things are neat and organized
- What you ask to buy, e.g. food in restaurant
- Social or political control of an area
- verb
- To put things in a sequence, e.g. a, b, c
- To give instructions to others to do what you want
- To ask for something you want to buy, e.g. a meal
you
US / jʊ /
•UK / ju /
- pronoun
- Person someone is speaking or writing to
- Person or people in general
other
US / 'ʌðə(r) /
•UK / ˈʌðər /
- adjecitve
- A thing different from that mentioned
- determiner
- (Something) else; not the first (one)
- pronoun
- Being the one and only thing of that category
two
US / tu: /
•UK / tu /
- number
- 2
and
US / ənd /
•UK / ənd, ən,ænd /
- conjunction
- Used to refer to two or more things
- Plus; in addition; on top of that
- Used to introduce an action that follows another
reduce
US / rɪ'dju:s /
•UK / rɪˈdus, -ˈdjus /
- verb
- To try to decrease, e.g. your weight if overweight
- To boil a liquid until it has decreased in amount
- To make something smaller in size, amount, level
environment
US / ɪn'vaɪrənmənt /
•UK / ɛnˈvaɪrənmənt, -ˈvaɪən- /
- noun
- Natural world in which plants and animals live
- The entire surrounding conditions of something
efficiency
US / ɪˈfɪʃnsi /
•UK / ɪˈfɪʃənsi /
- noun
- Working well; producing something without waste
over
US / 'əʊvə(r) /
•UK / ˈovɚ /
- adverb
- Finished; no longer happening
- Towards the ground/away from a standing position
- noun
- A set of six consecutive balls bowled in cricket
- other
- Finished
- preposition
- Showing the relation when a thing is above another
- On or covering something
- Above or across something
- More than you need
- From one side to the other
- In the direction of; toward
clean
US / kli:n /
•UK / klin /
- adjecitve
- Not marked in any way; blank
- Done according to the rules or standards; fair
- Free from disease or sickness
- Being free from dirt or marks; washed
- Behaving well; not breaking any rules; legal
- adverb
- Completely; entirely
- verb
- To make free from dirt or marks; washed
- To make neat and orderly e.g. a room
- To remove the inner parts of an animal
electrical
US / ɪˈlektrɪkl /
•UK / ɪˈlektrɪkl /
- adjecitve
- Related or connected to electricity
amount
US / ə'maʊnt /
•UK / əˈmaʊnt /
- noun
- Quantity of something
- verb
- To add up to a certain figure
why
US / waɪ /
•UK / hwaɪ, waɪ /
- adverb
- Question word to ask for a reason
- exclamation
- (Used to express surprise or approval)
much
US / mʌtʃ /
•UK / mʌtʃ /
- adjecitve
- Very; to a high level or degree
- adverb
- A lot; large amount; a high degree of
- Nearly; basically
- On many occasions; often
- noun
- A large amount; a great quantity
for
US / fə(r) /
•UK / fɔr,fə /
- preposition
- Used to show the purpose, or need of something
load
US / ləʊd /
•UK / lod /
- noun
- Large, often heavy, amount of a thing to be moved
- A burden; heavy responsibility
- Many or much of something; a lot of
- Items that fill a truck, machine
- verb
- To put in items for use (e.g. bullets in a gun)
those
US / ðəʊz /
•UK / ðoz /
- determiner
- The people or things we are talking about
- pronoun
- The objects far from the speaker
range
US / reɪndʒ /
•UK / rendʒ /
- noun
- Cooking stove with multiple burners
- Given distance from a point; how far plane can fly
- Large grassy area where cattle wander and feed
- Group or chain of mountains
- Set of things with something in common
- Limits within which something extends or varies
- A set of products, e.g. so that people can choose
- verb
- To cover an area from one point to another
- To extend to or vary within given limits
- To put things in a row or in line
- To wander or explore
exist
US / ɪɡ'zɪst /
•UK / ɪɡˈzɪst /
- verb
- To be present, alive or real
collective
US / kəˈlektɪv /
•UK / kəˈlɛktɪv /
- adjecitve
- Formed by working together as a group
- noun
- Business owned or controlled by its workers
have
US / həv /
•UK / hæv /
- verb
- To drink, smoke, eat or use something
- To experience the effects of something
- To organize an event, or join in an activity
- To own, possess, or hold something
- To cause to happen or produce a particular effect
with
US / wɪð /
•UK / wɪð, wɪθ /
- preposition
- As an employee of a certain company
- Against something or someone
- By using something as a means
- Due to; because of
- Including
- Possessing as a feature
- Related to
- (Of the manner/attitude by which you do something)
- Used to express that people or things are together
could
US / kəd /
•UK / kʊd /
- other
- Past form of 'can' to mean have ability
- Used to ask for something politely, or to offer
increase
US / ɪn'kri:s /
•UK / ɪnˈkris /
- noun
- Fact of increasing; amount something grows by
- verb
- To make or become larger in size or amount
brussels
US / 'brʌslz /
•UK / 'brʌsəlz /
- plural noun
- Brussels sprouts.
- proper noun
- The capital of Belgium, in the central part of the country; population 1,048,491 (2008). The headqua
down
US / daʊn /
•UK / daʊn /
- adjecitve
- Being sad, sick, or unhappy
- Not operating, working, or functioning as expected
- adverb
- In a sitting or lying position
- Towards or on the ground, floor, or bottom
- Written or copied onto a piece of paper or book
- noun
- A period of play in American Football
- The soft, smooth hairs that cover a bird's body
- preposition
- Along something's path, course, or direction
- Going from a higher position to a lower position
- verb
- To eat or drink very quickly and without stopping
energy
US / 'enədʒɪ /
•UK / ˈɛnədʒi /
- noun
- Physical or mental strength
right
US / raɪt /
•UK / raɪt /
- adjecitve
- Correct or true
- The south side of you looking at the rising sun
- adverb
- Exactly in a place or time
- Being appropriate for a particular event
- In a straight or direct manner
- noun
- Something you are legally or morally allowed to do
- Ideal of what is just and good
- Political view based on conservatism
- verb
- To fix something previously wrong or unjust
- To make upright, as a boat that has turned over
argue
US / ˈɑ:gju: /
•UK / ˈɑ:rgju: /
- verb
- To fight or disagree over something
- To state your reasons for or against an idea
tell
US / tel /
•UK / tɛl /
- verb
- To (strongly) advise a person to do something
- To be able to guess
- To say or communicate information to someone
- To inform, but without speaking; indicate
- To have a negative effect on someone
- To order someone to do something; command
- To recognize something based on certain signs
- To report something to an authority
- To explain something or teach someone something
about
US / ə'baʊt /
•UK / əˈbaʊt /
- adverb
- To be ready to; going to
- Nearly; approximately; roughly
- Near; next to; close to
- In every direction; in the area of
- preposition
- Concerning or of (a topic)
different
US / ˈdɪfrənt /
•UK / ˈdɪfrənt /
- adjecitve
- Not of the same kind; unlike other things
that
US / ðæt /
•UK / ðæt, ðət /
- adjecitve
- The person or thing being talked about
- Used to identify something both the speakers know
- adverb
- Used to reinforce adjectives and adverbs
- To such a degree
- conjunction
- Used to connect a noun clause
- Used to introduce an adverbial clause
- Used to introduce a noun clause
- determiner
- Used as a noun to refer to something
- pronoun
- Referring an object far away
- Used to refer to the relative pronoun ‘which’
what
US / wɒt /
•UK / hwɑt, hwʌt, wɔt, wʌt,hwət, wət /
- pronoun
- Thing or things that; the same kind as
- Used to emphasize something you are about to say
- adjecitve
- Used to refer to a particular amount, or number
- Used to place emphasis on a particular quality
- adverb
- To a certain degree
- determiner
- Question words used for asking for information
- exclamation
- Used to express excitement, shock, or surprise
- Used to ask people to repeat something they said