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**ethereal**
**es·tate** /ɪ'steɪt/ *n* **1** a (large) piece of land in the country, usually with one large house on it and one owner: *Real wine-lovers prefer wine which has been bottled on the estate.* **2** *BrE* a piece of land on which buildings (of a stated type) have all been built together in a planned way: *An industrial estate has factories on it, and a housing estate has houses on it. | We live on a council estate. (=one with houses built by the local council)* **3** *law* the whole of a person's property, especially as left after death: *When her will was published, we were surprised at the size of her estate.* **4** *old use or fml* the stated rank or condition in life: *They were joined together in the holy estate of matrimony. (=marriage)* → see also FOURTH ESTATE, REAL ESTATE
**es'tate ,agent** *BrE ||* **real estate agent, realtor** *AmE* — *n* a person whose business is to buy, sell, or look after houses or land for people **—estate agency** *n*
**CULTURAL NOTE** Estate agents are generally unpopular in the UK. Many people think that they typically describe houses as much better than they really are, and that they charge a lot of money for doing very little work.
**es'tate car** *BrE ||* **station wagon** *AmE* — *n* a private motor vehicle with a door at the back, folding or removable back seats, and a lot of room to put boxes, cases etc, inside → compare HATCHBACK, SALOON, SPORTS CAR
**es'tate ,tax** *n [U;C] AmE* a tax on the money and possessions of a dead person, paid by the HEIRS when the value is over a certain amount set by the government
**Es·tée Lau·der** /ˌesteɪ 'lɔːdə/ *trademark* a company that makes PERFUME and other beauty products
**es·teem¹** /ɪ'stiːm/ *n [U] fml* respect; good opinion (of a person): *a distinguished scientist who is held in (high) esteem by his colleagues* → compare ESTIMATION; see also SELF-ESTEEM
**esteem²** *v [T]* **1** *fml* to respect and admire (especially a person) greatly: *The old teacher was much loved and esteemed.* **2** *[+obj+adj/n] fml* or *pomp* to consider to be (especially something good): *His employers did not esteem him (to be) worthy of trust. | We would esteem it a favour if you would settle this account forthwith.*
**es·thete** /'iːsθiːt//'es-/ *n AmE* for AESTHETE **—esthetic** /iːs'θetɪk//es-/ **—esthetical** *adj* **—esthetically** /-kli/ *adv* **—esthetics** *n [U]*
**es·ti·ma·ble** /'estɪməbəl/ *adj fml* apprec (of a person or their behaviour) worthy of esteem → see also INESTIMABLE
**es·ti·mate¹** /'estɪmeɪt/ *v* **1** *[T(at)]* to judge or calculate the nature, value, size, amount etc of (something), especially roughly; form an opinion about: *We have not estimated the proper price for the contract yet. | The value of the painting was estimated at several thousand pounds. | [+(that)] I estimate that we should arrive at 5.30. | The movie cost an estimated $25 million to make. | 'What time is the plane due?' 'Well, the estimated time of arrival is 5.20.'* → see also UNDERESTIMATE, OVERESTIMATE **2** *[I(for)]* to calculate the probable cost of doing a job, such as building or repairing something: *I asked three building firms to estimate for the repairs to the roof.* → compare QUOTE¹ **—mator** *n*
**es·ti·mate²** /'estɪmət/ *n* **1** *[(of)]* a calculation or judgment of the nature, value, size, amount etc of something: *to make an estimate | My estimate of the cost was about right. | At a rough (=not exact) estimate there are about 6000 people in the crowd. | [+(that)] Her estimate that we would arrive at 5.30 was exactly correct.* **2** a statement of the probable cost of doing a job: *We got two or three estimates before having the roof repaired, and accepted the lowest.* → compare QUOTATION
**es·ti·ma·tion** /ˌestɪ'meɪʃən/ *n [U]* **1** THE act of estimating or forming a judgment: *This will simply lead, in our estimation, to further problems.* **2** ESTEEM: *He has lowered himself in my estimation. (=I no longer have such a high opinion of him)*
**Es·to·ni·a** /e'stəʊniə/ a small country on the Baltic Sea, between Russia and Latvia, which was part of the former SOVIET UNION until 1991. Estonia joined the EU in 2004. Population: 1,408,556 (2003). Capital: Tallinn. **—Estonian** *n, adj*
**es·trange** /ɪ'streɪndʒ/ *v [T(from)]* to cause (especially people in a family) to become unfriendly towards each other: *The argument estranged him from his brother.* **—ment** *n [C;U (from, between)] The quarrel led to (a) complete estrangement (between her and her family).*
**es·tranged** /ɪ'streɪndʒd/ *adj* **1** no longer living with one's husband or wife: *The couple became estranged in the early eighties.* **2** no longer friendly with: *They never see their estranged daughter.*
**e·stro·gen** /'iːstrədʒən//'es-/ *n AmE* for OESTROGEN
**es·tu·a·ry** /'estʃuəri, -tʃəri/ *n* the wide lower part or mouth of a river, into which the sea enters at HIGH TIDE: *the Thames estuary*
**ˌEstuary 'English** *n [U]* an English ACCENT (=way of speaking) which is common in London and the southeast of England, and which is becoming more common in central and western England because of the influence of television and radio. Estuary English is similar in some ways to a COCKNEY accent, but it is less strong.
**E.T.** /ˌiː 'tiː/ (1982) a very popular US film made by Steven SPIELBERG about a creature called E.T. ('the Extra Terrestrial'), who comes to Earth from another part of the universe. He is small and ugly, but very kind and intelligent, and he becomes friends with a boy called Elliot, who helps him to get home. The creature E.T. is known for saying 'E.T. phone home.'
**ET** /ˌiː 'tiː/ *abbrev.* for EMPLOYMENT TRAINING
**ETA¹** /ˌiː tiː 'eɪ/ *n abbrev.* for estimated time of arrival; the time when a plane, ship, train etc is expected to arrive at the place it is going to
**ETA²** /'etə/ a political organization in Spain which wants to establish an independent government for the Basque people, and used to use violent methods to try to achieve its aims
**et al.** /ˌet 'æl/ *adv Lat fml* and (the) other people: '*The Human Embryo' by Brodsky, Rosenblum, et al.*
**etc.** also **et·cet·e·ra**, **etc** /et'setərə/ *adv Lat* and the rest; and so on: *We'd better buy tea, sugar etc. | The letter says pay at once, they've warned us before etc etc.*
**etch** /etʃ/ *v* **1** *[I;T(on, in)]* to draw (a picture) by cutting lines on a metal plate with a needle and then using acid to eat out the lines, so that one can print from the plate: (*fig.*) *This terrible event is etched for ever on/in my memory.* **—er** *n [C;J]*
**etch·ing** /'etʃɪŋ/ *n* **1** a picture made by printing from an etched plate. Etchings are sometimes used to provide pictures in books. **2** **Come up and see my etchings** *humor* a phrase which, in jokes, a man says to a woman to invite her upstairs to his bedroom to persuade her to have sex with him
**e·ter·nal** /ɪ'tɜːnəl/ /-ɜːr-/ *adj* lasting for ever; without beginning or end: (*fig.*) *I'm sick of their eternal complaints. | (fig.) an eternal optimist* **—ly** *adv*
**E,ternal 'City, the** a name used in literature for Rome
**e,ternal 'triangle** *n [S]* the difficult situation resulting from the love of two people, usually of the same sex, for another person, usually of the other sex: *The film tells a familiar story about an eternal triangle.*
**e·ter·ni·ty** /ɪ'tɜːnətɪ//-ɜːr-/ *n* **1** *[U]* time without end: *God will live for all eternity.* **2** *[U]* the state of time after death, which is said to last for ever **3** *[S]* a very long time which seems endless: *I was so anxious that every moment seemed an eternity.*
**e'ternity ,ring** *n (especially in Britain)* a special kind of ring given as a sign of love that will last forever
**eth·a·nol** /'eθənɒl, 'ɪz-||-nɔːl/ *n [U] tech* ETHYL ALCOHOL
**Eth·el·red II** /ˌeθəlrəd ðə 'sekənd/ also **Ethelred the Un·read·y** /-əi ən'redi/ (968?-1016) an English king who lost his kingdom to the Danes
**e·ther** /'iːθə/ *n* **1** *[U]* a light colourless gas used formerly as an ANAESTHETIC to put people to sleep before an operation **2** *[the S] old use* the air as the material through which radio waves travel **3** *[the S]* also **aether** *old use or poet* the upper air
**e·the·re·al** /ɪ'θɪəriəl/ *adj* **1** of unearthly lightness and very