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loose
sthg.) also look upon — to consider; regard: I look on him as a friend. | Most people look on the government's promises with complete disbelief.
look out phr v 1 [I usually imperative] to take care: Look out! There's a car coming! 2 [I(for)] to keep watching (in order to see): Look out for your aunt at the station. → see also LOOKOUT 3 [T] (look sthg. ⇔ out) especially BrE to search for and choose from one's possessions: to look out a dress for a party 4 look out for number one usually derog to make sure that one's own needs and interests are treated as most important
look sbdy./sthg. ⇔ over phr v [T] to examine, especially quickly: I've looked over the plans, but I haven't studied them in detail. → see also OVERLOOK
look round phr v BrE || look around AmE — 1 [I;T(= look round sthg.)] to look at and examine (a place), especially while walking: I don't want to buy anything; I'm just looking round. | Do we have to look round the castle? | Let's look round the shops. 2 [I(for)] to LOOK around
look through sthg./sbdy. phr v [T] 1 to examine, especially for points to be noted: Look through this proposal for me, and tell me what you think of it. 2 to look at (someone) without seeming to notice them, on purpose or because of deep thought: I tried to tell him about it, but he just looked (straight) through me.
look to sbdy./sthg. phr v [T] 1 [(for)] to depend on for help, advice etc: We look to you for support. | [+obj+to-v] They're looking to the new manager to bring the company back to profitability. 2 fml to pay attention to, especially in order to improve: We must each look to our own work. 3 look to one's laurels to guard against competition; make sure one keeps one's good position
look up phr v 1 [I] infml (of a situation, business etc) to get better, especially after being bad; improve: Trade should look up later in the year. | Things are looking up! 2 [T] (look sthg. ⇔ up) to find (information) in a book: Look up the word in the dictionary. | I'll look up the times of the trains. 3 [T] (look sbdy. ⇔ up) to find and visit (someone) when in the same area: I must look up an old friend who lives nearby.
look up to sbdy. phr v [T] to respect; admire → opposite LOOK DOWN ON
look² n 1 [C(at) usually sing.] an act of looking: Have a look at that! (=Look at that!) | I took one look at the coat and decided I would have to buy it. | The country must have a long hard look at the tragedy of unemployment. 2 [C] a (short) period of giving attention with the eyes; GLANCE: She gave me an angry look. 3 [C usually sing.] an expression in the eyes or on the face: I knew she didn't like it by the look on her face. 4 [S] an appearance: He has the look of a winner. | The deserted village had a sad look. | a new look in skirts (=a new fashion in their appearance) | I don't like the look of that hole in the roof (=its appearance suggests trouble) 5 by the look(s) of it, him etc probably; judging from the way it, he etc appears or seems: By the looks of it we shan't have much rain this month. → see also LOOKS
look³ interj also look here — (an expression used for drawing attention before saying something, especially when one is angry or impatient): Look, I don't mind you borrowing my car, but you ought to ask me first. | Now look here, you can't say things like that to me!
'look-a,like n infml someone or something that looks very similar to someone or something else; a DOUBLE: Let's hire that Humphrey Bogart look-alike for the TV commercial. → compare CLONE
,Look Back in 'Anger (1956) a play by John Osborne about a young WORKING-CLASS man called Jimmy Porter, who continually argues with his wife, criticizing her and her family because they represent a traditional society he does not respect. The play influenced many British writers in the 1950s. → see also ANGRY YOUNG MAN
look-er /'lʊkə/ also good looker n infml a person, usually a woman, with an attractive appearance: She's a real looker. → see also LOOKS
,looker-'on n pl. lookers-on an ONLOOKER
'look-in n [S] infml 1 a chance to take part or succeed: Their team was so much better than ours that we didn't even get a look-in. (=we were completely beaten) 2 a short visit → see also LOOK in
'looking glass also glass n old-fash a mirror
look-out /'lʊk-aʊt/ n 1 [S] the act of keeping watch: keeping a lookout for the enemy 2 [C] a person who keeps watch: The general posted a lookout on top of the hill. 3 [C] a place to watch from 4 [S(for)] infml a likely future course of events; OUTLOOK: It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down. 5 one's own lookout BrE infml an unpleasant situation one must take care of for oneself, without others' help: If the teacher finds out you've been cheating, it's your own lookout. 6 on the lookout for searching for: We're on the lookout for new computer programmers. → see also LOOK OUT
looks /lʊks/ n [P] a person's appearance, especially when attractive: She kept her looks even in old age. → see also LOOKER
,look-'see n AmE infml LOOK: Let's just have a look-see at the back of your throat; maybe your tonsils are swollen.
loom¹ /luːm/ n a frame or machine on which thread is woven into cloth
loom² v 1 [I(UP)] to come into sight without a clear form, especially so as to seem very large and threatening, causing fear: A figure loomed (up) out of the mist. | (fig.) The threat of war loomed (over the country). 2 loom large to seem great and cause worry or other strong feeling: Fear of failure loomed large in his mind. | The coming examination looms larger with every passing day.
loon /luːn/ n especially lit a foolish or mad person
loon-y /'luːni/ n, adj slang (a person who is) mad or foolish; LUNATIC
'loony bin n slang, often humor for MENTAL HOSPITAL; considered offensive by many people
,loony 'left [the] the name given in the 1980s to the extreme left of the British Labour party whose activities were thought to be damaging to the party —loony leftie, lefty n: the loony lefties on the fringe of the party
loop¹ /luːp/ n 1 the shape made by a piece of string, wire, rope etc when curved back on itself to produce a closed or slightly open curve: To make a knot in a piece of rope, you first make a loop and then pass one end of the rope through it. 2 something with this shape, especially one used as a handle or fastening: Carry the parcel by this loop of string. 3 a type of IUD 4 also loop line /'- -/ — a railway line that leaves the main track and then joins it again further on 5 a circle made by an aircraft while flying along, up, back, down, and then along again 6 a set of commands in a computer PROGRAM that are to be performed repeatedly 7 in the loop/out of the loop AmE to know or not know about something that is happening (often used in business and politics): Well, they haven't called me back, so I'm assuming we're out of the loop on this.
loop² v 1 [I;T] to make a loop or make into a loop 2 [T+obj+adv/prep] to fasten by using or forming a loop: Loop the rope round the gate. | Loop that end of the rope through this and make a knot with it. 3 [I;T] (of an aircraft) to fly a LOOP (often in the phrase loop the loop)
Loop, the the central business area of Chicago. The name comes from an ELEVATED RAILWAY that forms a large circle or LOOP around the area.
loop-hole /'luːphəl/ n a way of escaping or avoiding something, especially one provided by a rule or agreement written without enough care: a loophole in the tax laws
loose¹ /luːs/ adj 1 not firmly or tightly fixed; movable when it should be firm: a loose tooth | a loose button | This pole is coming/working loose; it'll soon fall over. | The radio wasn't working because of a loose connection in the wires. | (fig.) loose-limbed and graceful 2 [F] not fastened, tied up, shut up etc; free from control: The animals broke loose and ran away. | I turned/let the other animals loose. (=I freed them) 3 not tied or packed together, e.g. with string or in a box; not packaged (PACKAGE): I bought these sweets loose, not in a box. 4 (of clothes) not fitting tightly 5 made of parts that are not tight together; not COMPACT: a loose weave/soil 6 not exact or controlled: a loose translation | loose accounting practices that have cost the firm a lot of money over the years 7 careless or irresponsible, especially in what one says: Never tell him a secret; he's got a loose tongue. (=he will tell it to everyone else) | loose talk 8 old-fash derog having low sexual morals: a loose woman | loose living 9 (of the bowels) allowing waste matter