or even contradicts something which has just been said:
I'm afraid I failed my exam. Mind you I didn't have much
time to study. | He's very selfish. Mind you he's good to
his mother. | 'She's very charming, isn't she?' 'Yes. I
wouldn't believe a word she says mind you.'
MIND /maɪnd/ a British CHARITY organization which gives
advice and practical help to people who are mentally ill and
to their families, and which tries to make people in general
understand more about mental illness
'mind-bending adj infml (causing an experience) so strange
and difficult that one cannot understand: mind-bending
drugs
'mind-blowing adj infml very exciting, surprising, shocking,
or strange -> see also blow someone's mind (BLOW¹)
'mind-boggling adj infml very surprising; difficult to imagine
because so big, unusual etc
mind·ed /'maɪndɪd/ adj 1 [F+to-v] fml having the will or
desire: He has enough money to travel, if he were minded to do
so. 2 -minded a) having the stated kind of mind:
strong-minded | evil-minded -> see also ABSENT-MINDED,
BLOODY-MINDED, BROADMINDED, CIVIC-MINDED, HIGH-MINDED,
LIKE-MINDED, NARROW-MINDED, OPEN-MINDED, SIMPLE-
MINDED, SINGLE-MINDED b) seeing the importance of the
stated thing: There'd be fewer accidents if all road-users were
more safety-minded.
mind·er /'maɪndə/ n BrE 1 someone employed to protect
another person, often in the criminal world 2 (usually in comb.)
a person whose job it is to look after something: a machine
minder -> see also CHILDMINDER
mind·ful /'maɪndfʊl/ adj [F+of] fml giving attention (to); not
forgetful (of): Mindful of the need to maintain efficient com-
munications, the committee makes the following proposals. . .
—ness n [U+of]
mind·less /'maɪndləs/ adj 1 derog not having, needing, or
using the power of thinking: It's tiring and mindless work. |
mindless cruelty | the mindless forces of nature (=thunder,
lightning etc) 2 [F+of] not giving attention (to); not think-
ing (about): The fireman rushed into the burning house,
mindless of the danger. —ly adv —ness n [U]
'mind reader n often humor a person who knows what
another person is thinking without being told —mind
reading n [U]
mind·set /'maɪndset/ n 1 AmE often derog a fixed state of mind
which can't be changed by new ideas or persuasion: I tried to
talk to him but he's got a real mindset about foreigners. | the
mindset of a hardened criminal 2 BrE a person's way of
thinking and reasoning: We are looking for someone with a
logical and analytical mindset to develop computer programs.
mind's 'eye n [the+S] the mind as a means of imagining
scenes or views: The old lady can still see in her mind's eye the
house where she lived as a child.
mine¹ /maɪn/ pron (possessive form of I) the one(s) that belong to
me: That's your coat; mine (=my coat) is here. | That's mine!
Give it back to me. | She borrowed a book of mine. (=one of
my books)
mine² determiner old use (before a vowel sound or h or after a
noun) my: mine host
mine³ n 1 [C] (often in comb.) a deep hole or system of holes
under the ground from which coal, gold, tin, or other
mineral substances are dug: a tinmine | Many of the workers
were buried underground when there was an accident at the
mine. -> compare QUARRY¹; see also COALMINE, GOLD-
MINE 2 [S+of] a very full supply: The old man was a mine of
information (=told us a lot) about the history of the vil-
lage. 3 [C] a kind of bomb that is placed just below the
ground or in the sea and is exploded electrically from far
away or when touched or passed over 4 [C] old use a passage
dug underground beneath an enemy position
mine⁴ v 1 [I;T(for)] to dig or work a MINE (in): mining for coal |
They'd mined the hillside for diamonds. 2 [T] to obtain by
digging from a MINE: Tin used to be mined in south-western
England. 3 [T often pass.] to put MINES in or under: All the
roads leading to the city had been mined. 4 [T usually pass.] to
destroy by MINES: Their ship was mined. 5 [T] old use to dig a
MINE under: Parties of soldiers mined the walls of the castle.
-> see also UNDERMINE
mine sthg. <-> out phr v [T usually pass.] to take all the minerals
from (a place) by mining (MINE): The whole area has been
mined out.
'mine de,tector n an instrument for discovering the pres-
ence of a MINE
mine·field /'maɪnfiːld/ n 1 an area of land or water in which
MINES have been placed 2 something that is full of hidden
dangers: The legal system is a minefield for the ordinary
person.
min·er /'maɪnə/ n (often in comb.) a worker in a MINE
min·er·al /'mɪnərəl/ n 1 any of various especially solid
substances that are formed naturally in the earth, such as
stone, coal, and salt, especially as obtained from the ground
for human use: Gold is a mineral. | the mineral wealth of a
country 2 [usually pl.] BrE for MINERAL WATER
min·er·al·ogy /ˌmɪnə'rælədʒɪl-'rɑː-, -'ræ-/ n [U] the scien-
tific study of minerals —gist n
'mineral oil n [C;U] oil obtained from minerals, as opposed
to from plants or animals
'mineral water n [C usually pl;U] water that comes from a
natural spring and contains minerals. People who are con-
cerned to eat healthy foods often drink mineral water as
they believe that it is more healthy than water from the tap,
'Miners' Strike, the a long STRIKE by British coal MINERS
in 1984-85, in protest at government plans to close mines. It
is remembered for fights between the miners, led by Arthur
SCARGILL, and the police. The Prime Minister, Margaret
THATCHER, called the miners 'the enemy within' (=the enemy
inside the country).
min·e·stro·ne /ˌmɪnɪ'strəʊni/ n [U] an Italian soup con-
taining vegetables and small pieces of PASTA
mine-sweep·er /'maɪnˌswiːpə/ n a naval ship fitted with
apparatus for taking MINES out of the sea —ing n [U]
Ming Dyn·as·ty /'mɪŋ ˌdɪnəstiˌˌdaɪ-/ the DYNASTY (=fam-
ily of rulers) which ruled China from 1368 to 1644. During
this period there were many important developments in
Chinese art, politics, and trade. Ming VASES (=decorated
containers) are famous for being very beautiful and very
valuable.
ming·er /'mɪŋə/ n BrE infml derog someone who is ugly, used
especially by young men to describe women they do not
think are sexually attractive: His girlfriend is a complete
minger.
ming·ing /'mɪŋɪŋ/ adj BrE infml derog very bad, unpleasant, or
ugly: Those trainers are minging.
min·gle /'mɪŋɡl/ v [I;T(with, TOGETHER)] to mix (with another
thing or with people) so as to form an undivided whole,
while keeping separate qualities: He rushed out into the busy
street and mingled with the crowd, hoping that the police
wouldn't spot him. | a speech that contained praise mingled
with blame
Min·gus, Charlie /'mɪŋɡəs/ (1922-79) a US JAZZ musician
and COMPOSER who played the DOUBLE BASS. He wrote the
story of his own life called Beneath the Underdog (1971).
min·gy /'mɪndʒi/ adj BrE infml derog not generous; STINGY: a
mingy person/present
min·i /'mɪni/ n infml anything that is smaller than others of its
kind, especially a) (usually cap., as trademark) a type of small
British car, very popular among young people, especially in
the 1960s b) a MINI SKIRT
mini- -> see WORD FORMATION TABLE
min·ia·ture¹ /'mɪnɪə||'mɪniətʃʊər/ n 1 a very small
painting, usually of a person 2 in miniature very like the
stated thing or person, but much smaller
miniature² adj [A] (especially of something copied) very
small: The child was playing with his miniature railway.
miniature 'golf n [U] a GOLF game played on a miniature
course having TUNNELS, bridges, sharp corners, and OBSTA-
CLES usually done for fun rather than as a serious sport.
Miniature golf courses are typically found in seaside holiday
towns in Britain.
min·ia·tur·ist /'mɪnɪʃərɪst||'mɪniətʃʊər-/ n someone who
paints MINIATURES
min·ia·tur·ize /'mɪnɪʃəraɪz||'mɪniətʃʊər-/ v [T] to make