Collocations
Collocations
Explore English words that belong together, with meanings, examples, and sentence practice. Browse by CEFR level or pattern, and add collocations to your deck for regular review.
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Showing 481–576 of 1187 phrases
Adjective + noun(59)
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nitric acid
a strong acid used in manufacturing fertilizers and other industrial products
nominative case
a grammatical case typically marking the subject of a clause
nonce word
a word created or given a special meaning for one particular occasion
nude statue
a sculpture representing a person without clothing
nutritive value
the usefulness of a food as a source of nutrients
oblique cone
a cone whose axis is not perpendicular to its base
obtuse angle
an angle greater than ninety degrees but smaller than one hundred eighty degrees
occipital gyrus
a fold on the outer surface of the brain's occipital lobe
ocular muscle
a muscle that moves the eyeball
old codger
an informal, often affectionate term for an eccentric older man
olfactory bulb
one of the paired brain structures connected with the sense of smell
onward motion
movement forward toward a destination or goal
operational calculus
a method that converts problems such as differential equations into algebraic form
ophthalmic artery
an artery supplying blood to the eye and nearby structures
optative mood
a grammatical mood used to express a wish or hope
optic axes
directions in a crystal along which light travels without double refraction
optical pyrometer
an instrument estimating temperature from the light emitted by a hot object
orbital velocity
the speed and direction of an object moving around another body
oriental alabaster
a hard compact variety of calcite used as a decorative stone
osseous tissue
the mineralized living tissue that forms bone
pagan religion
a religion described from an Abrahamic perspective as outside Christianity, Judaism, or Islam
papal infallibility
the Catholic belief that the pope is protected from error in certain authoritative teachings on faith or morals
paradoxical sleep
a recurring sleep stage associated with rapid eye movements and dreaming
parallel axiom
the Euclidean principle that exactly one parallel to a line passes through a point outside it
paramount issue
the issue considered more important than all others
parasitic worm
a worm that lives in another animal and obtains nourishment from its host
parenthetical expression
a word or phrase enclosed in parentheses
parietal pleura
the membrane lining the inner chest wall and covering the diaphragm
parochial school
a religious school run by a church or parish
parotid gland
a large saliva-producing gland located near the front and lower part of each ear
pathetic fallacy
the attribution of human feelings to natural phenomena or inanimate objects
pathogenic bacteria
bacteria capable of causing disease
patriarchal cross
a cross with two horizontal bars
peculiar velocity
an object's velocity measured relative to the local standard of rest
penal servitude
forced labor imposed as a criminal punishment
peremptory challenge
a limited right to reject a prospective juror without the usual showing of cause
petty bourgeoisie
the lower middle social class, especially small business owners and similar workers
photoelectric effect
the release of electrons from a material when electromagnetic radiation strikes it
photographic emulsion
a light-sensitive coating used on photographic film or paper
physiological psychology
the study of the bodily processes underlying thought, emotion, and behavior
picric acid
a yellow chemical acid historically used in dyes and explosives
pinnate leaf
a leaf with smaller leaflets arranged on both sides of a central stalk
placental mammal
a mammal whose young develop before birth with nourishment through a placenta
polyglot bible
an edition of the Bible presenting texts in several languages
polygonal shape
a closed flat shape bounded by straight sides
polyphonic music
music combining several distinct melodic parts played or sung together
polysyllabic word
a word containing several syllables
preemptive right
a shareholder's first opportunity to buy newly issued shares before others
prehensile tail
a tail adapted to grasp or hold objects
premature ejaculation
ejaculation that occurs sooner than desired during sexual activity
prescriptive grammar
an approach to grammar that sets rules for accepted or correct usage
presumptive evidence
evidence that supports a reasonable inference rather than proving something directly
primary dentition
the first set of teeth, later replaced by permanent teeth
prime mover
an uncaused first cause proposed to explain the origin of all other causes
propositional logic
formal logic that studies complete propositions and the ways they are connected
protestant denomination
a distinct religious body within Protestant Christianity
prussic acid
hydrogen cyanide dissolved in water
public easement
a legal right allowing the general public to use particular land or property
public nudity
being unclothed in a place accessible to the public
Noun + noun(33)
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numeration system
a system of symbols and rules for representing numbers
nurse practitioner
a registered nurse with advanced training to perform additional clinical duties
oil cartel
a group of oil producers cooperating to control supply or distribution
onion smut
a fungal disease of onions that produces dark blisterlike growths
opal glass
milky glass that is translucent or opaque
outrigger canoe
a canoe with a projecting float that helps prevent it from overturning
overflow incontinence
urine leakage that occurs when the bladder becomes excessively full
palm kernel
the seed contained within the fruit of an oil palm
paraffin wax
a wax obtained from petroleum and used in candles or protective coatings
pasture land
grass-covered land used or suitable for grazing animals
patchwork quilt
a quilt made by joining pieces of different fabrics
peach fuzz
the fine soft hairs covering the skin of a peach
pen nib
the shaped point of a pen that delivers ink onto paper
phosphor bronze
a bronze alloy containing phosphorus and valued for resistance to corrosion
pie crust
the pastry shell or covering that holds a pie's filling
pier mirror
a tall mirror placed on the wall between two windows
pit viper
a venomous snake with heat-sensitive pits on its head
placer mining
extracting valuable minerals from loose deposits by washing or dredging them
platinum blond
a person whose hair is a very pale, silvery blond
poison hemlock
a highly poisonous plant with finely divided leaves and clusters of white flowers
pole vault
an athletics event in which a competitor uses a long pole to clear a high bar
polo pony
an agile horse trained for the game of polo
potassium bromide
a white crystalline salt composed of potassium and bromide ions
powder metallurgy
the production of solid metal objects from metal powders
prayer shawl
a fringed shawl worn during Jewish prayer
predicate calculus
a system of logic representing individuals, their properties, and quantified relationships
presence chamber
a formal room where a ruler receives visitors or assemblies
prism spectroscope
an optical instrument that uses a prism to separate light for spectral examination
privet hedge
a hedge formed from closely planted privet shrubs
problem solver
a person who uses information and reasoning to find solutions
proton accelerator
a machine that raises protons to high speeds for particle experiments
proton synchrotron
a ring-shaped accelerator that raises protons to very high energies
publishing conglomerate
a large corporate group containing several publishing businesses