1509
unite
any way; regular: The air-conditioning system maintains a
uniform temperature throughout the building. | rows of dull
uniform houses —▶ly adv: The sky was uniformly (=com-
pletely) grey. | These cakes are uniformly (=all) disgusting.
—▶ity /ˌjuːnɪˈfɔːmɪti||-ɔːr-/ n [U] the drab uniformity of the
houses in this area
**uniform 'business** ,rate n (in Britain) a standard charge
payable by businesses for local government services, intro-
duced at the time of the Community Charge
**u·ni·formed** /'ju:nɪfɔmd||-ɔr-/ adj wearing uniform: Two
policemen came to the door; one was uniformed and the other
was in plain clothes.
**u·ni·fy** /'ju:nɪfaɪ/ v [T] 1 to combine parts of (something) to
form a single whole: Spain was unified in the 16th cen-
tury. 2 to make all the same; make uniform
**u·ni·lat·er·al** /ˌju:nɪˈlætərəl/ adj done by or having an
effect on only one side, especially one of the political groups
in an agreement: a unilateral declaration of independence by
a member country | unilateral nuclear disarmament ➔
compare BILATERAL, MULTILATERAL —▶ly adv: The govern-
ment imposed the new pay deal unilaterally.
**U·ni·le·ver** /'ju:nɪliːvər/ trademark a large British company
which produces DETERGENTS (=soap for washing clothes or
dishes), milk products, food products etc
**un·i·ma·gined** /ˌʌnɪˈmædʒɪnd/ adj [A] lit so good, large,
great etc that it is hard to imagine
**un·im·peach·a·ble** /ˌʌnɪmˈpiːtʃəbl/ adj fml apprec that
cannot be doubted or questioned: an unimpeachable
character/witness | I heard the rumour from an unimpeach-
able source. —▶bly adv
**un·im·ped·ed** /ˌʌnɪmˈpiːdɪd/ adj happening or moving
without being stopped or having difficulty: unimpeded
progress
**un·im·proved** /ˌʌnɪmˈpruːvd/ adj especially AmE (of land) not
built upon, farmed, or connected to services such as water,
SEWERAGE, electricity etc: a sale of unimproved lots
**un·in·formed** /ˌʌnɪnˈfɔːmd||-ɔːr-/ adj showing a lack of
knowledge or enough information: an uninformed guess |
uninformed opinions ➔ see also INFORMED
**un·in·hab·it·a·ble** /ˌʌnɪnˈhæbɪtəbl/ adj unfit to be lived
in: The planet Jupiter is uninhabitable. ➔ opposite HABIT-
ABLE; see also INHABIT
**un·in·hib·it·ed** /ˌʌnɪnˈhɪbɪtɪd/ adj free in behaviour and
feelings, especially doing and saying what one likes without
worrying about what other people think; having no INHIBI-
TIONS: an uninhibited person | uninhibited laughter —▶ly adv
**un·i·ni·ti·at·ed** /ˌʌnɪˈnɪʃieɪtɪd/ n [the P] fml or humor people
who are not among those who have special knowledge or
experience
**un·in·spired** /ˌʌnɪnˈspaɪərd||-aɪərd/ adj dull; not showing
imagination: an uninspired performance
**un·in·spir·ing** /ˌʌnɪnˈspaɪərɪŋ/ adj not encouraging the
imagination or interest: an uninspiring lecture/piece of
architecture
**un·in·terest·ed** /ʌnˈɪntrɪstɪd/ adj [(in)] not interested ➔ see
DISINTERESTED (USAGE)
**un·in·ter·rupt·ed** /ˌʌnɪntəˈrʌptɪd/ adj continuous —▶ly
adv
**u·nion** /'ju:njən/ n 1 [C+sing./pl. v] (often cap.) (especially in
names and titles) a club or society, especially a TRADE UNION:
Do you belong to a union? | the Students' Union 2 [C] (often
cap.) a group of countries or states joined together: the Soviet
Union | the US president's State of the Union address 3 [S,U]
the act of joining or state of being joined into one: This
artist's work shows a perfect union of craftsmanship with/
and imagination. 4 [C,U] lit or pomp marriage: Their union was
blessed with children. (=they had children) 5 (often cap.) the
northern states during the American Civil War: the Union
army
**Union Car·bide** /ˌju:njən ˈkɑːbaɪd||-ˈkɑːr-/ trademark a large
US chemical company. In 1984, poisonous gases escaped
from its factory in Bhopal, northern India, and over 2000
people died. Since then, many other people living in the
area near the factory have developed serious health prob-
lems. In 2004, the Indian government asked the courts in
the US to force Union Carbide's new owner, Dow Chemicals,
to clean up the poisonous chemicals that were still present
in and around the factory.
**u·nion·ism** /'ju:njənɪzəm/ n {U} trade unionism (TRADE
UNION) —▶ist n
**Unionism** n [U] the principles of those people in Northern
Ireland, mainly Protestants, who want Northern Ireland to
remain as part of the UK. There are several political parties
that support these principles, including the ULSTER UNIONISTS
and the DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY. ➔ compare REPUBLI-
CANISM
**U·nion·ist** /'ju:njənɪst/ n someone in Northern Ireland who
supports or belongs to one of the political parties which want
Northern Ireland to remain as part of the UK, especially the
ULSTER UNIONISTS or the DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY
**u·nion·ize** also -ise BrE /'ju:njənaɪz/ v [I,T] to (cause to)
become a member of a TRADE UNION: unionized labour | This
factory has recently unionized/been unionized. —▶ization
/ˌju:njənaɪˈzeɪʃn||ˌju:njənə-/ n [U]
**Union 'Jack, the,** also the 'Union Flag n the national
flag of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is made up of
three flags – the crosses of St George, St Andrew, and St
Patrick, which represent England, Scotland, and Northern
Ireland
**Union of ,Soviet ,Socialist Re'publics, the** the full
name of the SOVIET UNION
**Union 'Station** the name of the main passenger train
station in many US cities: Chicago Union Station
**'union ,suit** n AmE for COMBINATIONS
**u·nique** /ju:'ni:k/ adj 1 [no comp.] being the only one of its
type: Each person's fingerprints are unique. (=different from
anyone else's) 2 infml unusual: The town is fairly unique in the
wide range of leisure facilities it offers. 3 greater or especially
better than any other: a unique knowledge of ancient Roman
coins —▶ly adv —▶ness n [U]
Many people think it is incorrect to use expressions
like 'almost unique', 'fairly unique' etc, since they suggest
that unique does not mean 'the only one'.
**u·ni·sex** /'ju:nɪseks/ adj of one type which can be used by
both male and female: unisex clothes | a unisex hairdresser
**u·ni·son** /'ju:nɪsən, -zən/ n [(in)U] 1 the doing of something
by everyone in agreement or at the same time: The govern-
ments acted in unison to combat terrorism. 2 musical per-
formance in which everyone plays or sings the same note
**u·nit** /'ju:nɪt/ n 1 [+sing./pl. v] a group of things or people
forming a complete whole but usually part of a larger group:
The commander sent a unit of cavalry out to investigate. | The
family is the smallest social unit. | She works in the X-ray unit
at the hospital. 2 [(of)] an amount or quantity used as a
standard of measurement: The pound is the standard unit of
currency in Britain. | Give him two units of morphine. 3 a)
(usually in comb.) a piece, especially of furniture, storage equip-
ment etc, especially one which can be fitted with others of
the same type: a kitchen unit | a sink unit b) any of the
usually numbered divisions of a TEXTBOOK 4 especially tech a
single complete thing: The car factory's output is now up to
15,000 units (=cars) per month. 5 tech a) the smallest whole
number; the number 1 b) any whole number less than ten:
hundreds, tens, and units
**U·ni·tar·i·an** /ˌju:nɪˈteəriən/ n a member of a Christian
religious group that does not believe in the TRINITY
—▶Unitarian adj
**u·ni·ta·ry** /'ju:nɪtəri||-teri/ adj fml relating to or existing as a
single unit: a single unitary authority for the whole region
**U·ni·tas, Johnny** /ju:'naɪtəs/ (1933-2002) a US football
player who was a famous QUARTERBACK for the Baltimore
Colts team from 1956 to 1972. He was called 'the Golden
Arm' because the passes he threw often became TOUCH-
DOWNS (=actions that win points).
**u·nite** /ju:'naɪt/ v [I,T] 1 to make or form a single complete
whole; make or become one; join: The priest united them in
marriage. | The two colours/rivers mixed and united. | The
two companies plan to unite. 2 [(in, for, against)] to come or
bring together into one group for a shared action or pur-
pose: They united in condemning this terrorist outrage. |