toreador
1466
to·re·a·dor /tɔːriːədɔːr || ˈtɔːr-, ˈtɑː-/ n a man who takes part in a Spanish BULLFIGHT, especially one riding on a horse
tor·ment¹ /ˈtɔːmənt || ˈtɔːr-/ n 1 [C usually pl.; U] (a) very great pain or suffering in mind or body: She was in torment with her toothache. 2 [C(to)] something or someone that causes this
tor·ment² /tɔːˈment || tɔːr-/ v [T] 1 to cause to suffer great pain in mind or body: The knowledge of his guilt tormented him. | tormented by hunger 2 to annoy, especially cruelly: The little boy tormented his younger sister. —or n
torn /tɔːn || tɔːrn/ past participle of TEAR: My dress got torn. | a torn dress
tor·na·do /tɔːˈneɪdəʊ || tɔːr-/ also twister AmE infml — n pl. -does or -dos a very violent wind in the form of a very tall wide pipe of air that spins at great speed. Tornadoes are common in the American Midwest in spring and autumn, and often do great damage. Authorities broadcast a tornado warning when one is expected in an area. ➔ see STORM (USAGE)
To·ron·to /təˈrɒntəʊ || -ˈrɑːn-/ a city and port on Lake Ontario, Canada. Toronto is the capital of the PROVINCE of Ontario and the second largest city in Canada. It is also the business and financial centre of Canada.
tor·pe·do¹ /tɔːˈpiːdəʊ || tɔːr-/ n pl. -does a long narrow explosive apparatus that is driven along under the surface of the sea by its own motors and aimed at ships in order to destroy them
torpedo² v [T] to attack or destroy (a ship) with a torpedo: (fig.) The opposition parties united to torpedo the government's plan in Parliament. (=attack it and make it ineffective)
tor·pid /ˈtɔːpɪd || ˈtɔːr-/ adj 1 fml lazy or inactive; moving or thinking slowly: a torpid mind | The heat and humidity made us (feel) torpid. 2 tech (especially of an animal that sleeps through the winter) having lost the power of feeling or moving —ly adv
tor·por /ˈtɔːpər || ˈtɔːr-/ also tor·pid·i·ty /ˌtɔːpɪˈdɪtɪ || tɔːr-/ n [S; U] fml or tech a condition of (lazy) inactivity; the state of being torpid: This heat induces torpor.
torque /tɔːk || tɔːrk/ n [U] tech twisting force; power that produces ROTATION: A car engine delivers torque to the propeller shaft.
Tor·que·ma·da, Tom·ás de /ˌtɔːkweɪˈmɑːdə || ˌtɔːr-, ˈtɒmɑs dəlteʊˈmɑːs-/ (1420–98) a Spanish Christian leader who started the Spanish INQUISITION, the Roman Catholic organization that persecuted (PERSECUTE) and punished HERETICS (=people whose religious beliefs are considered unacceptable). He is known for hurting and killing thousands of people in very cruel ways.
Tor·re·mo·li·nos /ˌtɒrəməˈliːnɒs || ˌtɔːrəməˈliːnoʊs/ a town on the Mediterranean coast of Spain which is popular with British tourists. It has many tall, modern hotels, bars, FAST FOOD restaurants, and NIGHT CLUBS. Many people in the UK think of it as a typical place for an inexpensive PACKAGE HOLIDAY (=a holiday organized by a company at a fixed price that includes the cost of travel, of the hotel etc). ➔ see also BENIDORM
tor·rent /ˈtɒrənt || ˈtɔːr-, ˈtɑ-/ n [(of)] a violently rushing stream, especially of water: The rain fell in torrents. | A torrent of water swept down the valley. | (fig.) a torrent of abuse
tor·ren·tial /təˈrenʃəl || tɔːr-/ adj caused by or like a torrent: torrential rain
Tor·rey Can·yon, the /ˌtɒrɪ ˈkænjən || ˌtɔːr-/ an OIL TANKER (=a ship that carries oil) which was damaged on the rocks on the coast of Cornwall, southwest England, in 1967, and poured large quantities of oil into the sea, causing a lot of damage to the environment ➔ see also EXXON VALDEZ, SEA EMPRESS
tor·rid /ˈtɒrɪd || ˈtɔːr-, ˈtɑː-/ adj 1 lit or tech (especially of weather) very hot: the torrid desert sun 2 full of strong feelings and uncontrolled activity, especially sexual: a torrid story of sex and violence | a torrid love affair —ly adv
tor·sion /ˈtɔːən || ˈtːr-/ n [U] tech 1 the act of twisting or turning 2 the state of being twisted or turned 3 the force that moves a rod, wire etc, back into the correct shape after it has been twisted out of shape
tor·so /ˈtɔːsəʊ || ˈtɔːr-/ n pl. -sos 1 the human body without the head and limbs 2 a representation of this in stone, metal etc
tort /tɔːt || tɔːrt/ n law a wrongful but not criminal act, that can be dealt with in a CIVIL court of law
tor·til·la /tɔːˈtiːjə || tɔːr-/ n a type of thin round flat bread made from MAIZE or WHEAT flour, eaten especially in Mexico
tor·tilla chip n a small hard flat piece of food made from corn, similar to a CRISP
tortoise
shell
turtle
tortoise
tor·toise /ˈtɔːtəs || ˈtɔːr-/ n a slow-moving land animal that has its body covered by a hard rounded shell into which it can pull its legs, tail, and head for protection ➔ compare TURTLE
Tortoise and the Hare, the a FABLE (=a traditional story that teaches a moral lesson) by AESOP in which a TORTOISE and a HARE have a race. The tortoise unexpectedly wins by moving slowly but steadily, while the hare, because he knows he can run much faster than the tortoise, stops halfway and falls asleep. The lesson of the story is 'Slow and steady wins the race.'
tor·toise·shell /ˈtɔːtəsel, ˈtːtəʃel || ˈtɔːr-/ n, adj [U] (made of or looking like) the hard shell of the tortoise or TURTLE which is brown with yellowish marks, and is sometimes polished and used for making combs, small decorative boxes etc
tor·tu·ous /ˈtɔːtʃuəs || ˈtɔːr-/ adj 1 twisted; winding; full of bends: a tortuous mountain road 2 not direct; confusingly COMPLICATED: a tortuous explanation —ly adv —ness n [U]
tor·ture¹ /ˈtɔːtʃər || ˈtɔːr-/ n 1 [U] the act of causing someone severe physical pain, done e.g. out of cruelty, as a punishment, or to force someone to give information: instruments of torture, such as the rack and thumbscrew | the military government's systematic use of torture against political prisoners 2 [C; U] (a) severe pain or suffering caused in the mind or body: the tortures of jealousy | It was sheer torture to hear him play the violin so badly.
torture² v [T] to cause great pain or suffering to; practise torture on: The police tortured him to make him confess to the crime. | (fig.) She was tortured with/by guilt. —turer n
tor·tur·ous /ˈtɔːtʃərəs || ˈtɔːr-/ adj very painful or unpleasant to experience: a torturous five days of fitness testing
Tor·valds, Li·nus /ˈtɔːrvældz || ˈtɔːrvɑldz, ˈlɑːnəs/ (1969–) a Finnish computer scientist who invented the Linux OPERATING SYSTEM
Tor·vill and Dean /ˌtɔːvɪl ən ˈdiːn || ˌtɔːr-/ Jayne Torvill (1957–) and Christopher Dean (1958–); a pair of British ice dancers who won a GOLD MEDAL at the OLYMPIC GAMES in 1984, and then became professional performers. They are best known for dancing to RAVEL's Boléro.
To·ry /ˈtɔːr/ n a member of the British Conservative Party —Tory adj: Tory politicians
Tory Party, the a common name for the British CONSERVATIVE PARTY
Tos·ca·ni·ni, Ar·tu·ro /ˌtɒskəˈniːnɪ || tɑːs-, ˌɑːˈtuːrəʊ || ˌɑːr-/ (1867–1957) an Italian CONDUCTOR (=someone who directs a group of musicians) known for his work at La Scala in Milan, Italy, at the Metropolitan Opera Company in New York City and with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in New York City
tosh /tɒʃ || tɑːʃ/ n [U] BrE infml nonsense: What a load of old tosh!
To·shi·ba /tɒˈʃiːbə || tɑː-/ trademark a BRAND (=type) of electronic equipment such as televisions and computers, made by the Japanese company Toshiba