1485
truck driver
solves. 8 get a woman into trouble old-fash euph to make a
woman PREGNANT 9 there's trouble at mill BrE spoken a
humorous expression used in order to say that a family,
group of people, or organization are arguing or having
problems: It looks like there's trouble at mill - Kate and Alex
have had a row and they've cancelled the holiday. | There's
certainly trouble at mill as far as Dodean Holdings is con-
cerned - they've just received news of a hostile takeover bid. ->
see also TEETHING TROUBLES
trouble² v 1 [T] rather fml to make (someone) anxious, nerv-
ous, worried etc: You look troubled; is anything worrying
you? | troubling news | (fig.) a troubled company (=one which is
in financial difficulties) 2 [T(for)] (especially in polite
requests) to cause inconvenience to (someone): I'm sorry to
trouble you, but can you tell me the way to the station? | May I
trouble you for the salt? (=please pass it to me) | [+obj+to-v] Can
I trouble you to close the door? (=please close it) 3 [I(about)
usually in questions and negatives] to cause inconvenience to one-
self: Don't trouble about the door; I'll close it. | [+to-v] Don't
trouble to write when I'm away. 4 [T] to cause (someone)
pain or suffering: He's been troubled by a bad back since he
was a child. 5 [T] especially lit to force into irregular or violent
movement; AGITATE: The wind troubled the surface of the
lake. -> see also fish in troubled waters (FISH)
,trouble and 'strife n BrE dial (RHYMING SLANG for) wife:
Where's your trouble and strife tonight then?
,trouble-'free adj causing no difficulty, worry, or suffering:
She leads a trouble-free existence. | We've had two years of
trouble-free motoring with that car.
troub-le-mak-er /'trʌbəl,meɪkə/ n derog a person who
habitually causes trouble, especially by making others feel
discontented
Troub-les, the /'trʌbəlz/ a name used, especially in Ire-
land, for the political problems connected with Ireland's
relationship with the UK. The events in the early 1920s,
when Ireland was fighting to become an independent coun-
try, were called the Troubles, and the name is also used for
the problems and violence in Northern Ireland since the late
1960s.
troub-le-shoot-er /'trʌbəl,ʃu:tə/ n 1 a person employed
to discover and remove causes of trouble in machines,
organizations etc 2 especially AmE a guide, often in the form of
a printed table, that lists common problems found in a
product or activity and ways to deal with them
troub-le-some /'trʌbəlsəm/ adj causing trouble or anxiety;
worrying or annoying: a troublesome child/cough
'trouble ,spot n a place where especially political trouble
often happens: a journalist covering the world's trouble spots
trough /trɒf||trɒ:f/ n 1 a long narrow open container, espe-
cially for holding water or food for animals: a pig's
trough 2 a long narrow hollow area between two waves of
the sea: (fig.) The business cycle is a series of peaks and
troughs. (=periods of great activity followed by periods of
little activity) 3 tech (in METEOROLOGY) a long area of fairly
low pressure between two areas of high pressure
trounce /traʊns/ v [T] to defeat completely: We were thor-
oughly trounced by the opposing team.
troupe /tru:p/ n [C(of)+sing./pl. v] a company (of singers, actors,
dancers etc) -> compare TROOP
troup-er /'tru:pə/ n infml apprec someone who has worked at
the same thing for a long time, especially in the entertain-
ment business: a veteran Hollywood trouper
trou-ser /'traʊzə/ adj [A] of trousers: There's a tear in your
trouser leg. | a trouser pocket
trouser press n an apparatus in which trousers can be kept
when they are not being worn, in such a way that the cloth
will be kept smooth
trou-sers /'traʊzəz||-ərz/ usually pants, slacks AmE- n [P]
an outer garment covering the body from the waist to the
ankles, or sometimes to the knees, with a separate part
fitting over each leg: He bought himself some trousers/a pair
of trousers. -> compare JEANS, SHORTS; see also wear the
trousers (WEAR); see PAIR (USAGE), SLACKS (USAGE)
trouser suit BrE || pantsuit AmE — n a woman's suit
consisting of a JACKET and matching trousers, fashionable in
the 1970s
trous-seau /'tru:səʊ, tru:'səʊ/ n pl. -seaux /səʊz/, -seaus
the personal possessions, including clothes and articles for
the home, that a woman brings with her when she marries
trout /traʊt/ n 1 [C;U] pl. trout or trouts a river, (or sometimes
sea) fish, used for food 2 [C] pl. trouts BrE infml derog an
unattractive or annoying old person (especially in the phrase
old trout)
trove n -> see TREASURE TROVE
trow-el /'traʊəl/ n 1 a tool with a flat blade for spreading
cement, PLASTER etc 2 a garden tool like a small spade with
a curved blade, for digging small holes, lifting up plants etc
Troy /trɔɪ/ according to ancient Greek stories, a city in ASIA
MINOR (=modern Turkey) which the Greeks eventually
gained control of in the TROJAN WAR. In the 19th century,
Heinrich Schliemann, a German ARCHAEOLOGIST, discovered
the RUINS of an ancient city in northwest Turkey, which he
claimed was Troy.
'troy weight n [U] tech a British system, now rarely used, of
measuring the weight of gold, silver, and jewels: It weighs
two ounces troy. -> compare AVOIRDUPOIS
tru-an-cy /'tru:ənsi/ also tru-ant-ing /'tru:əntɪŋ/ BrE — n
[U] the act of purposely staying away from school without
permission: a rise in truancy figures
tru-ant /'tru:ənt/ n 1 a pupil who purposely stays away from
school without permission 2 play truant also play hookey
AmE infml — to stay away from school on purpose, without
permission
truce /tru:s/ n (an agreement between enemies or opponents
for) the stopping of fighting or arguing, usually for a short
time: to declare/call a truce -> compare ARMISTICE, CEASE-
FIRE
Tru-cial States, the /,tru:ʃəl 'steɪts/ a former name for
the UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
trucks
open truck
covered truck
articulated lorry BrE/
semi AmE
breakdown truck BrE/
tow truck AmE
forklift truck
truck¹ /trʌk/ n 1 also lorry BrE — a large motor vehicle for
carrying goods in large quantities: to load a truck -> compare
VAN 2 BrE || car AmE — an open railway vehicle for carrying
goods: coal trucks 3 a simple vehicle for carrying goods,
pulled or pushed by hand
truck² n [U] 1 AmE vegetables or fruit grown for sale; PRO-
DUCE 2 have no truck with to intentionally avoid dealing
with, especially having any business or social connections
with
truck³ v [T+obj+adv/prep] especially AmE 1 to carry by truck 2 infml
move or go, especially without difficulty: trucking along at
70 miles an hour | It's late, we'd better get trucking. (=leave)
'truck ,driver AmE || lorry driver BrE — n a person whose
job is to drive a truck that carries goods. Most truck drivers
are men.