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Krypton
**KO²** *v* [T] to knock someone out (KNOCK out): *Sanchez was KO-ed in the third round.*
**ko·a·la** /kəʊˈɑːlə/ *also* **ko,ala 'bear** /l.'.. ./ *n* an Australian tree-climbing animal like a small bear with no tail → see picture at BEAR
**Ko·dak** /'kəʊdæk/ *trademark* a BRAND (=type) of camera, photographic film, and other photographic products made by the US company Kodak → see also EASTMAN, GEORGE
**kohl** /kəʊl/ *n* [U] a powder used especially in the East by women to darken the skin above and below the eyes
**Kohl, Hel·mut** /'helmʊt/ (1930-) a German politician who was Chancellor of West Germany from 1982 to 1990 and of the united Germany from 1990 to 1998
**kohl·ra·bi** /kəʊl'rɑːbi/ *n* [U] a vegetable of the CABBAGE family whose swollen stem is used for food
**Ko·jak** /'kəʊdʒæk/ a US television programme popular in the 1970s about a police DETECTIVE called Kojak, played by the actor Telly Savalas. He had no hair and was known for sucking LOLLIPOPS.
**Kon-Ti·ki ex·pe·di·tion, the** /kɒn 'tiːki ekspəˌdɪʃən‖kɑːn-/ a journey made in 1947 by the Norwegian EXPLORER, Thor Heyerdahl, and five other people. They sailed a RAFT, called the Kon-Tiki, from Callao in Peru to Tuamoto Island in the South Pacific Ocean in order to show that the POLYNESIANS had done this in earlier times and were therefore related to the INCAS.
**kook** /kuːk/ *n AmE infml* a person whose ideas or behaviour are unusual or silly
**kook·a·bur·ra** /'kʊkəbʌrə/ *also* **laughing jackass** *n* an Australian bird with a call like laughter
**kook·y** /'kuːki/ *adj AmE infml* (especially of a person) odd; behaving in a silly unusual manner —**iness** *n*
**Kool-Aid** /'kuːleɪd/ *trademark* a type of powder that you mix with water and sugar to make a cold drink. Kool-Aid is popular in the US, and is drunk especially by children: *grape Kool-Aid*
**Koontz, Dean** /kuːnts/ (1945-) an American writer of popular books, especially HORROR stories. He has written more than 100 books, including *Whispers, False Memory,* and *Odd Thomas.
**Kop, the** /kɒp‖kɑːp/ part of the ANFIELD football ground in Liverpool where people who support Liverpool's team typically sit
**ko·peck, -pek** /'kəʊpek/ *n* one hundredth of a ROUBLE, the money used in the former USSR and RUSSIA today
**Kop·pel, Ted** /'kɒpəl‖'kɑː-, tед/ (1940-) an English-born news presenter who in 1980 started presenting the US television programme *Nightline*, a late night news programme made by ABC
**Ko·ran, the** /kɔː'rɑːn, kə-‖kə'ræn, -'rɑːn/ *also* **the Qur'an** —the holy book of Islam, which contains the main rules and beliefs of the Muslim religion. Muslims believe that the words of the Koran were given to MUHAMMAD by the ANGEL GABRIEL as messages from Allah (=the Muslim name for God).
**Ko·re·a** /kə'riːə/ a country in East Asia which, in 1948, was divided into two countries, NORTH KOREA and SOUTH KOREA
**Ko·re·an War, the** /kəˌriːən 'wɔːr/ a war between Chinese and North Korean forces on the one hand and UN and South Korean forces on the other. The war began in 1950 and ended in 1953, with neither side having won.
**Ko·resh, David** /kə'reʃ/ (1959-93) the leader of a small religious group called the Branch Davidians, who lived together in Waco, Texas, in the US. In 1993 the FBI came to ARREST him and surrounded the place where the group lived. A fire was started, and Koresh and 86 members of his group were killed.
**ko·sher** /'kəʊʃər/ *adj* **1** of, providing, or being food, especially meat, prepared according to Jewish law: *kosher meat* | *a kosher restaurant* → see also JUDAISM **2** *infml* honest and trustworthy; customary or proper: *I don't think he or his business are quite kosher.*
**Ko·sin·ski, Jer·zy** /kə'zɪnski, 'dʒɜːziːl'dʒɜːr-/ (1933-91) a US writer of novels, born in Poland. He is known especially for *The Painted Bird* about his terrible experiences as a Jewish child in World War II, and for *Being There*, which was made into a film.
**Ko·so·vo** /'kɒsəvʊ‖'kɑː-/ an area in southern Serbia. It used to be an AUTONOMOUS (=having the power to govern itself) area within Serbia until Slobodan Milosevic, the President of Serbia, stopped this in 1989. In the 1990s the Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was established in order to achieve independence for Kosovo. In 1998 the Serbs killed many Albanians in Kosovo in a process known as ETHNIC CLEANSING. This continued until 1999 when NATO bombed Serbian targets.
**Ko·tex** /'kəʊteks/ *trademark* a type of SANITARY TOWEL
**Kour·ni·ko·va, An·na** /ˌkʊəni'kəʊvə‖ˌkuər-, 'ænə/ a Russian tennis player and model, known for being very attractive. She was very successful as a JUNIOR player, but at SENIOR level she did not have much success and stopped playing tennis in 2003. She has advertised sports products for companies such as Adidas and Berlei.
**kow·tow** /ˌkaʊ'taʊ/ *v* [I(tɒ)] **1** to obey without question; show too much respect or regard (for the wishes or opinions of): *Be polite, but don't kowtow (to him).* **2** (especially formerly in SE Asia) to kneel and lower one's head to show respect
**KP** /ˌker 'piː/ *n* [U] *AmE abbrev. for* kitchen patrol; work that soldiers or children at a camp have to do in a kitchen: *He's assigned to KP today.*
**kph** *written abbrev. for* kilometres per hour
**KPMG** /ˌkeɪ piː em 'dʒiː/ *trademark* a large international firm that provides services for businesses, especially ACCOUNTANCY
**Kraft** /krɑːft‖kræft/ *trademark* a large US food company, known especially for making cheese products
**Kraft 'Singles** *trademark* a type of PROCESSED orange cheese which is sold already cut into thin pieces and is used especially in the US for making SANDWICHES
**Kraft·werk** /'kræftvɛrk‖-wɜːrk/ a German ROCK GROUP who play electronic music using SYNTHESIZERS and computers. They began performing in the early 1970s and have influenced many later groups. Their records include *Autobahn, Trans-Europe Express,* and *Tour de France Soundtracks.*
**Kra·ken** /'krɑːkən/ *n* in Norse MYTHOLOGY, a very large frightening sea-animal
**Kray twins** /'kreɪ ˌtwɪnz/ TWIN brothers called Ronnie (1935-1995) and Reggie (1935-2000) Kray, who were involved in a lot of violent crime in the East End of London during the 1960s. In 1969 they were found guilty of murdering two men and the judge ordered that they should go to prison for at least 30 years.
**Krem·lin, the** /'kremlɪn/ **1** the group of buildings in Moscow which was the centre of the government of the former SOVIET UNION and which is now the centre of the Russian government. It was originally a 15th century fortress. **2** the government of Russia or of the former SOVIET UNION
**Krish·na** /'krɪʃnə/ in Hindu MYTHOLOGY, the most important AVATAR (=god in human form) of the god VISHNU. He is often shown in art as a beautiful young man, often with blue skin and sometimes playing a FLUTE. → see also HARE KRISHNA
**Kris·py-Kreme Dough·nuts** /ˌkrispi kriːm 'dəʊnʌts/ *trademark* a company which sells DOUGHNUTS and coffee in many stores in the US and Canada. It began in 1937 and only had stores in the southeastern US until the 1990s. The company also has stores in other countries.
**Kriss Krin·gle** /ˌkris 'kringəl/ *n* [S] *AmE* another name for SANTA CLAUS
**kro·na** /'krəʊnə/ *n pl.* **-nor** /nɔːr/ the standard coin in the money system of Sweden and Iceland
**kro·ne** /'krəʊnə/ *n pl.* **-ner** /nər/ the standard coin in the money system of Denmark and Norway
**Kru·ger·rand** /'kruːɡərˌrænd/ *n* a South African gold coin. They are not used as money, but are bought especially by foreigners as a way of investing (INVEST) in gold.
**kryp·ton** /'krɪptɒn‖-tɑːn/ *n* [U] a gas, found in the air, which is a simple substance (= ELEMENT)
**Krypton** the imaginary PLANET where the character SUPERMAN is supposed to have been born
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