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engagement
en·dow /ɪn'daʊ/ v [T] to provide (a hospital, college etc) with a usually large amount of money that gives a continuing income
endow sbdy. with sthg. phr v [T usually pass.] fml to provide with (a good quality or ability) from birth: *She is endowed with both beauty and brains.*
en·dow·ment /ɪn'daʊmənt/ n 1 [C usually pl.] fml or humor a quality that a person has; ATTRIBUTE: *His natural endowments are somewhat limited, and scarcely fit him for this post.* 2 [U] the act of endowing 3 [C usually pl.] the money that an organization receives when it has been endowed
en'dowment ,mortgage n a MORTGAGE (=a legal arrangement by which you borrow money to buy a house) which is paid back by the money gained from an endowment policy
en'dowment ,policy n a type of insurance agreement by which a person pays money regularly over a number of years so that an agreed amount will be paid to them at the end of that time, or to their family if they die before then
'end ,product n something which is produced as the result of a number of operations, especially industrial processes: *Our raw material is oil, and our end product is nylon stockings.* ➔ compare BY-PRODUCT
en·due /ɪn'djuː||ɪn'duː/ v
endue sbdy. with sthg. phr v [T] fml to fill (a person) with (a good quality): *endued with a spirit of public service*
en·dur·ance /ɪn'djʊərəns||ɪn'dʊər-/ n .[U] the power of enduring: *Long-distance races are won by the runners with the greatest endurance.* | *The course is a real test of endurance.*
en·dure /ɪn'djʊə ||ɪn'dʊər/ v 1 [T] to bear (pain, suffering etc) patiently or for a long time: *They endured tremendous hardship on their journey to the South Pole.* I [+to-v/v-ing] *I can't endure to see/endure seeing animals suffer like that.* 2 [I] fml to remain alive or in existence, especially in spite of difficulty: *We can't endure much longer in this desert without water.* | *Her fame will endure for ever.* | enduring fame ➔ see BEAR (USAGE) —durable adj
'end user n the person who actually uses a product: *These books are sold to schools, but the end users are the students.*
end-ways /'endweɪz/ also end-wise /-waɪz/ especially AmE — adv 1 with the end forward; not sideways: *The box is quite narrow when you look at it endways (on).* 2 with the ends touching each other: *Put the tables together endways.*
'end zone n the place at the end of an American football field where you take the ball to get points
en·e·ma /'enəmə/ n 1 the putting of a liquid (such as medicine) into the bowels through their lower opening (the RECTUM) 2 an amount of liquid put in like this
en·e·my /'enəmi/ n 1 a person who hates and opposes another person; one of two or more people who hate and oppose each other: *He's a ruthless businessman and he's made a lot of enemies.* (=a lot of people hate him) | John and Paul are enemies. (=of each other) | (fig.) Abraham Lincoln was the enemy of slavery. (=fought against it) | *She's her own worst enemy.* (=stupidly does things that harm herself) 2 [+sing/pl. v] (the armed forces of) a country with which one is at war: *The enemy had advanced and was/were threatening our communications.* | enemy forces/missiles
en·er·get·ic /ˌenə'dʒetɪk ||-ər-/ adj full of energy; very active: *an energetic tennis player* | *an energetic supporter of the peace movement* —-ally /-klɪ/ adv
en·er·gize also -gise BrE /'enədaɪz||-ər-/ v [T] especially tech to give energy to: *Food energizes the body.*
en·er·gy /'enədʒɪl-ər-/ n [U] 1 the quality of being full of life and action; power and ability to do a lot of work or be physically active: *Young people usually have more energy than the old.* 2 also energies pl. the power which one can use in working: *You'll need to apply/devote all your energy/energies to this job.* | *I didn't have the energy to disagree with her.* 3 the power which can do work, such as drive machines or provide heat: *atomic/electrical energy* | *The sun's energy (=which keeps it burning) will last for millions of years.* | a cheap source of energy
en·er·vate /'enəveɪt ||-ər-/ v [T] fml to make weak; take away energy from; DEBILITATE: *He was enervated by his long illness.* | *I find this heat very enervating.*
en·fant ter·ri·ble /ˌɒnfɒn te'rɪːbləɒnfɑːn-/ n pl. enfants terribles (same pronunciation) Fr a shocking but also often interesting and amusing person: *the enfant terrible of the British film industry*
en·fee·ble /ɪn'fiːbəl/ v [T often pass.] fml to make weak; cause to lose strength completely: *The country was enfeebled by war, drought, and disease.* —-ment n [U]
En·field, Harry /'enfiːld/ (1961-) a British COMEDIAN who writes and appears in his own television programmes, and has invented many humorous characters that are STEREOTYPES of people in British society
en·fold /ɪn'fəʊld/ v [T[ɪn]] to enclose, especially in one's arms: *She enfolded the child lovingly in her arms.*
en·force /ɪn'fɔːs||-ɔːrs/ v [T] 1 to cause (a rule or law) to be obeyed or carried out effectively: *Governments make laws and the police enforce them.* 2 [on, upon] to make (something) happen, especially by threats or force; IMPOSE: *They tried to enforce agreement with their plans.* —-able adj ➔ opposite UNENFORCEABLE —-ment n [U] *The police are responsible for the enforcement of the law.*
en·forced /ɪn'fɔːst||-ɔːrst/ adj made to be so by the way things happened; not able to be anything else: *He was shipwrecked on an uninhabited island and spent a year in enforced solitude.*
en·fran·chise /ɪn'fræntʃaɪz/ v [T] 1 to give the right to vote at elections: *When were women enfranchised in Britain?* ➔ opposite DISENFRANCHISE; see also FRANCHISE², SUFFRAGE 2 to free (a slave) —-ment /-tɪz-||-tʃaɪz-/ n [U]
en·gage /ɪn'geɪdʒ/ v fml 1 [T] to attract and keep (the interest and attention) of (someone): *The new toy didn't engage the child/the child's attention for long.* 2 [I (with); T] to (cause to) fasten onto, fit into, or lock together with another part of a machine: *This wheel engages with that wheel and turns it.* | *When the two wheels engage, the smaller one will start to turn.* | *She engaged the clutch and the car moved forwards.* ➔ opposite DISENGAGE 3 [I (with); T] to begin to fight (with): *They engaged the enemy (in battle).* | *The two fleets engaged at dawn.* ➔ opposite DISENGAGE 4 [T (as)] especially BrE to arrange to employ (someone): *I've engaged a new assistant/engaged him as my new assistant.* | [+obj+to-v] *I've engaged a man to work as your assistant.* 5 [T] especially BrE to order (a room, seat etc) to be kept for one: *I've engaged a room at the hotel.*
engage in phr v [T] fml 1 [(engage in sthg.)] to take part in: *Politicians should not engage in business affairs that might affect their political judgment.* 2 [(engage sbdy. in sthg.)] to make (someone) join with one in: *While one of the robbers engaged the guard in conversation, the others crept into the factory.*
en·gaged /ɪn'geɪdʒd/ adj 1 [(to)] having agreed to marry: *Our son is engaged (to a nice young woman).* | Edward and I are engaged/have got engaged. | They're engaged to be married. 2 [F[in, on]] busy; spending time on doing something: 'Can you come on Monday?' 'No, I'm engaged.' (=I've arranged to do something) | *Come on Monday evening if you are not otherwise engaged.* (=doing something else) | *The company is engaged in a legal dispute with one of its suppliers.* 3 [F] BrE || busy AmE — (of a telephone line) in use: *Sorry! The line/number is engaged.* | *I keep getting the engaged tone.* ➔ see TELEPHONE (USAGE) 4 [F] (of a public TOILET) in use ➔ opposite VACANT (for)
en'gaged tone BrE || busy signal AmE — n [often the] the sound one hears from a telephone when the person one has rung is already on the telephone to somebody else: *I keep getting the engaged tone.*
en·gage·ment /ɪn'geɪdmənt/ n 1 [C] an agreement to marry: *Have you heard that John has broken off his engagement to Mary?* (=said he no longer wishes to marry her)
**CULTURAL NOTE** Traditionally, it is the custom in the US and the UK for a man and woman who are going to get married to get engaged first. The man buys the woman an ENGAGEMENT RING, traditionally a gold ring with a diamond on it. They tell their family and friends and sometimes have a party. There is usually a period of time between the engagement and the wedding, so that the two people can make wedding plans, save money, find somewhere to live etc. Now, however, people who decide to get married often live together first, and sometimes do not get formally engaged at all.