1616
-ary¹ /əri, əri||eri/ (in adjectives) of or concerning ——s; that is a ——: planetary bodies (=that are PLANETS) | customary
-ary² (in nouns) 1 someone connected with a ——: the beneficiaries of the will (=people who profit from it) | a functionary (=someone with duties) 2 a thing or place connected with or containing ———s: a library (=containing books) | an ovary (=containing eggs)
-ate /āt, eɪt/ 1 (in adjectives) full of or showing the stated quality: very affectionate (=showing love) 2 (in verbs) to cause to become ——: to activate (=make active) | to regulate (=make regular) 3 (in nouns) a group of people with certain duties: the electorate (=people who elect; voters) | an inspectorate 4 (in nouns) the job, rank, or degree of a ——: She was awarded her doctorate. (=the degree of doctor) 5 tech (in nouns) a chemical salt formed from the stated acid: phosphate —ately (in adverbs): fortunately
-athon /əθən||əθəm/ infml (in nouns) an event in which the stated thing is done for a very long time, especially to collect money: a swimathon | a talkathon
-ation /eɪʃən/ (in nouns) the act, state, or result of ——ing: an examination (=examining) of the contents | the combination of several factors
-ative /ətɪv/ (in adjectives) liking or tending to ——, or showing a liking for ———s: talkative (=liking to talk a lot) | argumentative (=enjoying arguments) | imaginative (=showing imagination)
-ator /eɪtəʳ/ (in nouns) someone or something that ——s: a narrator (=someone who tells a story) | a generator (=a machine that produces electricity)
-bound /baʊnd/ (in adjectives) limited, kept in, or controlled in the stated way: a fog-bound aircraft/airport (=unable to operate because of FOG) | We were snowbound and couldn't get out of the house. —see also BOUND⁵
-cide /saɪd/ (in nouns) -ICIDE: genocide (=killing a whole race of people) —cidal (in adjectives) —cidally (in adverbs)
-cracy /krəsi/ (in nouns) -OCRACY: bureaucracy (=government by officials who are not elected)
-craft /krɑːft||kræft/ (in nouns) 1 a vehicle of the stated kind: a spacecraft | a hovercraft | several aircraft 2 skill of the stated kind: statecraft (=skill in the art of government) | stagecraft (=skill in acting or directing plays)
-crat /kræt/ (in nouns) -OCRAT
-cy /si/ (in nouns) 1 the state or quality of being ——: privacy (=state of being private) | accuracy | bankruptcy 2 the rank or position of a ——: a baronetcy (the rank of a BARONET)
-d /d, t/ (the form used for -ED after e): baked
-dom /dəm/ 1 (in [U] nouns) the state of being ——: freedom 2 (in [C] nouns) a the rank of a ——: He was rewarded with a dukedom. (=was made a DUKE, a high noble rank) b an area ruled by a ——: a kingdom 3 (in [U] nouns) infml all the people who share the same set of interests, have the same job etc: officialdom (=all officials) | yuppiedom
-drome /drəʊm/ rather old-fash (in nouns) a large place for the stated purpose: an aerodrome (=an airport)
-ean /iən/ (in adjectives and nouns) -AN: Mozartean (=of or like Mozart)
-ectomy /ektəmi/ tech (in nouns) the removing of the stated body part by an operation: an appendectomy (=removing the APPENDIX)
-ed /d, ɪd, t/ 1 (forms the regular past tense and past participle of verbs. The past participle form is often used as an adjective.): I want, I wanted, I have wanted | I show, I showed, I have shown | walked | echoed | a wanted criminal 2 (in adjectives) having a ——: a bearded man (=a man with a beard) | a kind-hearted woman
USAGE -ed or -d added to the end of verb to make the past tense or past participle (failed, loved) have the sound /d/ except: a after verbs ending with the sounds /p, k, f, θ, s, ʧ/. Here -ed is pronounced /t/, as in matched /mætʃt/ b after verbs ending with the sounds /t, d/. Here -ed is pronounced /ɪd/ in British English and /əd/ in American English, as in needed /'ni:dɪd/. —see also -ING (USAGE)
-ee /iː/ (in nouns) 1 someone who is ———ed: the payee (=someone who is paid) | a trainee | an employee 2 someone who is —— or who ——s: an absentee (=someone who is absent) | an escapee (=someone who escapes)
-eer /ɪəʳ/ often derog 1 (in nouns) someone who does or makes a ——: an auctioneer (=someone who runs AUCTION sales) | a profiteer (=someone who makes unfair profits) | 2 (in verbs) to perform actions connected with ———s: to profiteer | electioneering
-en /ən, ən/ 1 (in adjectives) made of ——: a golden crown | wooden seats 2 (in verbs) to (cause to) be, become, or have ——: to darken (=make or become dark) | to ripen | to strengthen (=have or give more strength)
-ence /əns, əns/ (in nouns) -ANCE: its existence (=it exists) | reference | occurrence
-ency /ənsi, ənsi/ (in nouns) -ANCY: a tendency
-ent /ənt, ənt/ (in adjectives and nouns) -ANT: different | residents
-er¹ /əʳ/ (forms the comparative of many short adjectives and adverbs): hot, hotter | dry, drier | My car is fast, but hers is faster/goes faster. —see also -EST (1)
-er² (in nouns) 1 someone who ——s or who is ——ing: a dancer (=someone who dances or is dancing) | the diners (=people having dinner) 2 something that ——s: a screwdriver (=a tool for driving in screws) 3 someone who makes ——s: a hatter (=someone who makes hats) 4 someone who lives in or comes from ——: a Londoner (=someone from London) | the villagers (=people who live in the village) 5 someone skilled in or studying the stated subject: a geographer (=someone who studies GEOGRAPHY) 6 something that has ———s: a three-wheeler car (=with three wheels) —see also -AR, -OR
USAGE In expressions like 'She is a dancer', words ending in -er usually suggest that the person who performs the action of the verb does it professionally: One can, however, say 'He's a very keen footballer/a very good dancer' without suggesting that he does it professionally.
-ery /əri, əri/ also -ry (in nouns) — 1 a the art, behaviour, or condition of a —— or of being ——: slavery (=being a slave) | bravery (=being brave) b a collection of ———s: modern machinery (=machines) | in all her finery (=fine clothes) 2 a place where the stated thing lives or is done, made, or sold: a rookery (=where birds called ROOKS live) | a bakery (=where bread is baked) | an oil refinery
-es /ɪz/ (form used for -s when added to a word ending with s, z, ch, or y): glasses | buzzes | watches | ladies
-ese /iːz/ 1 (in nouns and adjectives) (the people or language belonging to the stated country or place: The Viennese (=people from Vienna) are so charming. | learning Japanese (=the language of Japan) | Chinese music 2 usually derog (in nouns) language or words limited to the stated group: journalese (=language used in newspapers) | officialese (=language used in official or legal writing)
-esque /esk/ (in adjectives) 1 in the manner or style of: Kafkaesque (=in the style of the writer Franz Kafka, or like the situations or characters in his books) 2 like a ——: picturesque (=pleasing to look at)
-ess /es, ɪs/ (in nouns) a female ——: an actress (=a female actor) | a waitress | two lionesses
USAGE Many people do not like the use of female forms such as authoress and poetess. They prefer to use the same word for both men and women: Sylvia Plath, the well-known American poet | Iris Murdoch is the author of many novels.
-est /ɪst/ 1 (forms the SUPERLATIVE of many shorter adjectives and adverbs): cold, colder, coldest | dry, drier, driest | Our soap powder washes whitest. —see also ER-¹ 2 also -st - old use or bibl (forms the second person singular of verbs): thou goest
-eth /ɪθ/ also -th - old use or bibl (forms the third person singular of verbs): he goeth