you for a few minutes? | (shows annoyance) Do you realize you're half an hour late? 2 to make (a hope, purpose, fear etc) real: She realized her ambition of becoming an actress. | My worst fears were realized when I saw what the exam questions were. 3 fml a) to change into money by selling: We realized all our assets. b) to get (money by selling): We realized a profit (on the house). c) (of something sold) to bring (an amount of money): The car realized £3000. —lizable adj: realizable hopes/property
really /'rɪəli/ adv 1 in fact; actually: Did she really say that? | I really don't/I don't really want any more coffee. | The report describes things as they really are. | He's really rather a nice boy/He's quite a nice boy, really. 2 very (much); thoroughly: It's really cold today. | a really cold day | I really can't stand him. 3 (used especially with ought or should) correctly; properly: You ought really (BrE) || really ought (AmE) to have asked me first. | I'll let you use the phone this time, but you're not really supposed to. 4 (shows interest, doubt, surprise, or slight displeasure): 'I collect rare coins.' 'Really?' | Well, really!
realm /relm/ n 1 (often cap.) lit or law a country ruled over by a king or queen: the defence of the Realm 2 [(of)] also realms pl.— an area of activity, study etc: the realm of science | Such a thing is not within the realms of possibility. (=is not possible)
re-al·pol·i·tik /rɛrˈɑːlpɒltɪkˈl-pɑː-/ n [U] politics based on practical facts or possibilities rather than on moral aims, and directed towards the success and advantage of one's own country, political group etc
,real 'property n [U] fml, especially law for REAL ESTATE
,real 'tennis n [U] a game played by two or four people using rackets (RACKET) and a ball in an indoor court of an irregular shape, divided by a net. This game was the original form of tennis.
'real-time adj [A] tech of or being a computer's handling of a requested operation immediately and without interruption until it is finished: a real-time interactive database — real time n [U] These schedule updates have to happen in real time. → compare TIME-SHARING
Real-tor /ˈrɪələtər, -tɔːr/ AmE trademark an ESTATE AGENT (=someone whose job is to sell houses or land for other people)
real·ty /'riəlti/ n [U] AmE for REAL ESTATE
,real 'world n [the] the world, life, conditions, situations etc as they really exist, not as in someone's imagination of how they should be: You suggest that we should abolish income tax altogether, but that's not living in the real world.
ream¹ /riːm/ n 1 a) (in Britain) 480 pieces of paper b) (in the US) 500 pieces of paper → compare QUIRE 2 [(of)] also reams pl. — infml a lot of writing: She wrote reams of notes.
ream² v [T] especially AmE 1 to make (a hole or opening) larger 2 infmi to treat badly, especially by cheating
ream·er /'riːmər/ n especially AmE a tool used to make a hole or opening larger
re·an·i·mate /riːˈænəmeɪt/ v [T] fml to fill with new strength or courage; bring back to life: The new leader reanimated the political party.
reap /riːp/ v [ɒt] 1 to cut and gather (a crop of grain): The men were all out reaping. | Nowadays machines are used to reap the corn. | (fig.) She invested cleverly, and reaped a rich reward. | (fig.) He finally reaped the benefit of all his years of hard work. → compare HARVEST 2 you reap what you sow also as you sow, so shall you reap used in order to say that anything good that you do will finally bring you a good result, or that anything bad will bring a bad result: You reap what you sow, and Jerry may eventually regret his behaviour in Friday's game. | If our children's feelings are important to us, our feelings will be important to them. As you sow, so shall you reap. | Ten years ago the bank thought it might be profitable to lend to risky borrowers. Now the banks and the borrowers are reaping what they sowed. ︷er n → see also GRIM REAPER
re·ap·pear /,riə'pɪər/ v [l] to appear again after an absence
——ance n [C;U]
re·ap·praise /,ri:ə'preiz/ v [T] fml to examine (something) again to see whether one should change one's opinion of it: The time had come for them to reappraise their economic strategy. —praisal n [C;U]
rear¹ /riər/ n 1 [the] rather fml the back: a garden at the rear of the house | The engine is in the rear: → compare FRONT 2 [C] euph the part of the body on which one sits; BUT-TOCKS 3 bring up the rear to be the last, e.g. in a line of people or a race —rear adj [A] a rear window | The rear light of a car
BUSAGER British speakers say at the rear for something that is behind: a garden at the rear of the house and in the rear for the back part of something: to sit in the rear of the car. American speakers generally say in the rear for both.
rear² v 1 [T(on)] to care for until fully grown: She's reared a large family. | a hand-reared goat (=fed by a human being) → compare RAISE 2 [1] (of a four-legged animal) to rise upright on the back legs: The horse reared and threw me off. → compare BUCK 3 [T] to lift up (a part of oneself, especially the head), especially so as to be noticed: The lion reared its head. | (fig.) The threat of war/of a big price rise/once again has reared its ugly head. (=appeared)
,rear 'admiral n (often cap.) a rank in the navy: rear admiral Jones → see TABLE 3
rear·guard /ˈriːɡɑːdliˈriːɡɑːrd/ n [C+sing./pl. v] a formation of soldiers protecting the rear of an army → compare VANGUARD
rearguard 'action n a fight by the rearguard of an army that is being driven back by a victorious enemy: (fig.) They fought a rearguard action against political changes that were almost inevitable.
re•arm /riːˈɑːmɪl-ˈɑːrm/ v [ɑːrˈtʃ(rɪ)t] to provide (oneself or others) with weapons again, or with new weapons: If we want to fight we must rearm. | They rearmed their allies with modern missiles. → compare DISARM
re·ar·ma·ment /riː'ɑːməment | - 'ɑːr- / n [U] the rearming of | a nation → compare DISARMAMENT
rear•most /'riəməust\|'riər-/ adj [A] furthest back; last: the rearmost carriage of the train
re·ar·range /,ri:ə'reɪndʒ/ v [T] to put into a different (and better) arrangement: Let's rearrange the room and have the desk by the window. —ment n [C;U] various rearrangements | a lot of rearrangement
rear·view mir·ror /,riəvju: 'mirər\|,riər-/ n a mirror in a vehicle, such as a car or a bus, which lets the driver see the area behind the vehicle → see picture at CAR
rearward /'riəwəd/rɪərwəd/ adj, n [A; the] (in or towards) the REAR —wards, -ward adv
rea·son¹ /ˈriːzən/ n. 1 [C;U(for)] the cause of an event or situation; a fact, event, or statement that provides an explanation or excuse for something: She just suddenly left without giving any reason. | He decided not to accept the job, but wouldn't tell us his reasons. | The reason for the flood was all that heavy rain. | [+to-v] They have said the new product will be a success, and I see no reason to doubt it. | There is reason to believe she was murdered. | In view of her behaviour, you had every reason (=good reason) to be suspicious. | [+(that)] The reason I didn't tell you was that I wanted it to be a surprise. [+why] The reason why she didn't get the job was that her English was not very good. | (fml) He escaped punishment by reason of (=because of) his youth. | He thinks with reasons (=rightly) that I don't like him. | She decided for reasons because known to herself (=no one else knew her reasons) to move to another job. | For safety reasons/For reasons of safety, the doors are kept locked. 2 [U] the ability to think, understand and form opinions or judgments that are based on facts. People are different from animals because they possess the power of reason. 3 [U] good sense: There's a great deal of reason in his advice. | Their demands are/go beyond all reason! (=are more than is acceptable or reasonable) | I told him not to be so stupid, but he wouldn't listen to reason. (=be persuaded by sensible advice) 4 [U] a healthy mind that is not mad: to lose/regain one's reason 5 within reason within reasonable limits: The bank will lend you as much a you need, within reason. → see also stand to reason (STAND