721
instrument panel
quickly prepared for use: instant coffee/mashed potato
(=coffee/potato in powder form that needs only the addition
of boiling water)
in·stan·ta·ne·ous /ˌɪnstənˈteɪniəs/ adj happening at once:
She accidentally swallowed the poison and death was
instantaneous. | an instantaneous reaction —ly adv —ness
n [U]
in·stant·ly /ˈɪnstəntli/ adv at once: The police came to my
help instantly.
instant messaging n [U] a type of service available on the
Internet that allows you to quickly exchange written mes-
sages with people that you know: instant messaging services
—instant message n
instant replay n AmE for ACTION REPLAY
in·stead /ɪnˈsted/ adv 1 in place of that: It's too wet to go for
a walk; let's go swimming instead. | If you don't want to go,
I'll go instead. 2 instead of in place of: You should be
working instead of lying there in bed. | Will you go to the
meeting instead of me?
in·step /ˈɪnstep/ n 1 the upper surface of the foot between
the toes and the ankle 2 the part of a shoe, sock etc, which
covers the instep
in·sti·gate /ˈɪnstɪɡeɪt/ v [T] fml 1 to start (something hap-
pening) by one's action; be responsible for starting: The
police have instigated a search for the missing boy. | to insti-
gate criminal proceedings 2 [+obj+to-v] to cause (someone
else) to act usually wrongly, especially by forceful speech;
INCITE —gator n usually derog: the instigators of all this unrest
—gation /ˌɪnstɪˈɡeɪʃən/ n [U] He did it at my instigation.
(=I told him to or suggested that he should)
in·stil BrE || instill AmE /ɪnˈstɪl/ v -ll- [T(in, into)] to put (ideas,
feelings etc) gradually but firmly into someone's mind by a
continuous effort: We instilled the need for discipline and
obedience into the new recruits. —stillation /ˌɪnstɪˈleɪʃən/ n
[U]
in·stinct /ˈɪnstɪŋkt/ n [C;U] (a) natural ability or tendency to
act in a certain way, without having to learn or think about
it: the nest-building instinct in birds | Don't ask me; follow/
trust your instincts and do what you think is right. | an
instinct for survival | [+to-v] Lions have an instinct to hunt. ➔
compare INTUITION
in·stinc·tive /ɪnˈstɪŋktɪv/ also in·stinc·tual
/ɪnˈstɪŋktʃuəl/ adj resulting from instinct: instinctive
behaviour | an instinctive dislike of extreme political
opinions | an instinctive mistrust of strangers —ly adv:
Instinctively, I knew she was ill. | He ducked instinctively as
the bullet whistled past his head.
in·sti·tute¹ /ˈɪnstɪtjuːt/ n a society or organization
formed to do special work or for a special purpose: a
research institute
institute² v [T] fml to set up (a society, rules, actions in law
etc) for the first time: The police have instituted legal proceed-
ings against her.
institute of edu'cation n (often caps.) a teacher training
institution in England and Wales
in·sti·tu·tion /ˌɪnstɪˈtjuːʃən/ n 1 [C] a) a habit,
custom etc, which has been in existence for a long time: the
institution of marriage b) infml, often humor a person who has
been seen in the same place and/or doing the same thing for a
long time: That old man in the park is a regular institution.
2 [C] (a large building for) an organization, usually a
long-established or well-respected one: the big City institu-
tions (=the banks and other companies in the City of
London that deal with money) | The Royal Institution is a
British organization for scientists. 3 [C] euph for MENTAL HOS-
PITAL: He went rather strange and had to be put into an
institution. 4 [C] derog a place where a lot of people live,
usually in the care of an official organization, such as a
children's or old people's HOME: I could never put my mother
into an institution – she'd hate it. 5 [U] the act of instituting:
the institution of a new law —al adj: institutional food
in·sti·tu·tion·al·ize also -ise BrE /ˌɪnstɪˈtjuʃənəlaɪz/
-'tu:-/ v [T] 1 to cause to become an INSTITUTION: inefficient
practices that have been allowed to become institutionalized |
They described corporal punishment in schools as 'institution-
alized violence'. 2 euph to put into an INSTITUTION
(3,4) 3 [usually pass.] to cause or allow (a person) to gradually
begin to behave in the way that people behave when they
are kept in a prison, hospital etc, for a long time: After 20
years in prison, he had become so institutionalized that he was
completely unable to adapt to life outside.
in·store /ˌɪnˈstɔr/ adj operating, or in use, within a large
DEPARTMENT STORE: an instore detective
in·struct /ɪnˈstrʌkt/ v [T] 1 [+obj+to-v] to give orders or
directions, especially with the right or expectation of being
obeyed: I've been instructed to wait here until the teacher
arrives. | I am instructed (=I have been told) to inform you
that the minister is not willing to make a statement. | The
union issued an order instructing its members not to work
overtime. 2 [in] to give knowledge or information (usually
of something practical) to: The sergeant was instructing the
soldiers (in how to do the drill). ➔ see TEACH
(USAGE) 3 [+obj+that; usually pass.] law to advise or inform
officially: I have been instructed that the defendant is unwell,
and I therefore adjourn the case. 4 law to employ (a lawyer)
to handle a case in court ➔ see ORDER (USAGE)
in·struc·tion /ɪnˈstrʌkʃən/ n 1 [C often pl.] an order: You
must obey my instruction. | to give someone instructions |
[+to-v] I have instructions not to let anyone in. | [+(that)] My
instructions are that I must not let anyone in. ➔ see also
INSTRUCTIONS 2 [U] the act of instructing; teaching: He's not
trained yet; he's still under instruction. (=being instructed) |
an instruction manual —al adj
in·struc·tions /ɪnˈstrʌkʃənz/ n [P] advice on how to do
something: I didn't follow the instructions printed on the box,
and broke the machine.
in'struction set n the complete set of instructions that a
computer understands, each instruction controlling one
operation in the MICROPROCESSOR
in·struc·tive /ɪnˈstrʌktv/ adj (not of a person) giving useful
information that increases knowledge or understanding: a
most instructive lecture/visit —ly adv
in·struc·tor /ɪnˈstrʌktər/ n 1 a person who teaches, espe-
cially a physical, practical, or scientific activity: a
swimming/driving instructor ➔ see also SKI INSTRUC-
TOR 2 AmE a person who teaches a subject, especially in a
college or university: a social studies instructor
in·stru·ment /ˈɪnstrʊmənt/ n 1 an object used to help in
work, especially in work where exact detail and measure-
ments are necessary, such as medicine and science: The pilot
studied his instruments (=such as an ALTIMETER that tells the
pilot how high the plane is flying or a FUEL GAUGE that tells
the pilot how much fuel there is) anxiously. | surgical
instruments | an instrument of torture 2 also musical instru-
ment — an object, such as a piano, horn, drum etc, played
to give musical sounds ➔ see also STRINGED INSTRUMENT,
WIND INSTRUMENT 3 [(of)] especially lit someone or something
which seems to be used by an outside force to cause
something to happen: an instrument of fate
An instrument is a man-made tool, usually without
power, used in science or art. A microscope, a compass,
and a thermometer are examples of instruments. A
piano, an organ, and a violin are examples of (musical)
instruments. ➔ see also MACHINE (USAGE)
in·stru·men·tal /ˌɪnstrʊˈmentl/ adj 1 [no comp.] (of music)
for instruments, not voices: an instrumental work 2 [F+(in)]
fml helpful (in); being (part of) the cause of: He/His informa-
tion was instrumental in catching the criminal.
in·stru·men·tal·ist /ˌɪnstrʊˈmentəlɪst/ n a person who
plays a musical instrument, especially with a group of
singers ➔ compare VOCALIST
in·stru·men·ta·tion /ˌɪnstrʊmenˈteɪʃən/ n [U] 1 the way
in which a piece of music is arranged for the different
instruments of a band ➔ compare ORCHESTRATE 2 a set of
instruments, especially to help in controlling a machine: the
complex instrumentation in an aircraft's cockpit
'instrument flying n [U] flying an aircraft on a course
using instruments only, e.g. at night or in thick cloud when
the pilot cannot see ahead
'instrument landing n a landing in an aircraft, using
instruments and RADAR only, e.g. in bad weather
'instrument panel n a board on which instruments are set,
especially in an aircraft; DASHBOARD