1477
Travolta, John
tra·pe·zi·um /trə'pi:ziəm/ BrE || trapezoid AmE — n pl.
-iums or -ia /iə/ tech (in MATHEMATICS) a four-sided shape in
which only one pair of sides is parallel
trap·e·zoid /'træpɪzɔɪd/ BrE || trapezium AmE — n tech (in
MATHEMATICS) a four-sided shape in which no sides are
parallel
trapper /'træpər/ n a person who traps wild animals,
especially for their fur
trappings /'træpɪŋz/ n [P] often derog articles of dress or
decoration, especially as an outward sign of rank: (fig.) the
trappings of power, such as titles and privileges
Trap·pist /'træpɪst/ n a member of a group of Roman
Catholic MONKS (=religious men who live together). The
Trappists live according to very strict rules, and they never
speak. People sometimes say that someone is 'like a Trappist
monk' if they are very silent.
trap-shoot-ing /træpˌʃuːtɪŋ/ n [U] the sport of shooting at
clay plates or balls fired into the air by a powerful spring
trash¹ /træʃ/ n [U] 1 something of extremely low quality or
value: His new film is absolute trash. | What you're saying is
absolute trash (=nonsense) 2 || also garbage — AmE waste
material to be thrown away; RUBBISH 3 [+sing./pl. v] especially
AmE a worthless person or worthless people
trash² v [T] slang to destroy, damage, or make dirty
trash·can /'træʃkæn/ n AmE a DUSTBIN or a public LITTER BIN
trash com·pac·tor n AmE a machine which presses rubbish
together into a very small packet, used in some kitchens in
the US
trash·men /'træʃmən/ n [P] AmE the people who collect the
rubbish from most private homes and businesses and who
are usually paid by the local government
trash·y /'træʃi/ adj of extremely low quality or value, espe-
cially of low artistic quality: trashy novels —iness n [U]
trat-to-ri-a /ˌtrætəˈriːəlˌtrɑː-/ n an Italian name often given
to Italian restaurants: the Trattoria Gambini
trau-ma /'trɔːmə, 'traʊmə/ also trau·mat·ism
/'trɔːmətɪzəm, 'traʊ-/ n 1 damage to the mind caused by a
sudden shock or terrible experience 2 med a wound
trau-mat-ic /trɔː'mætɪk/ adj (of an experience) deeply and
unforgettably shocking: the traumatic events of his child-
hood, when both his parents had been killed —ally /kli/ adv
trau·ma·tize also -tise BrE /'trɔːmətaɪz/ v [T] 1 to shock
deeply and unforgettably 2 med to wound
trav-all¹ /'trævɛl/ n [U] old use 1 also travails pl. — very hard
work 2 the pains of giving birth to a child: a woman in
travail
travail² v [I] old use to work very hard
travel¹ /'trævəl/ v -ll- BrE || -l- AmE 1 [I] to go from one place
to another, especially to a distant place; make a journey: If I
had a lot of money, I'd travel. | He travelled across Spain on a
donkey | He has travelled widely. (=to many places) | (fig.) Her
mind travelled back to (=she remembered) her child-
hood. 2 [T] to go through or over: I've travelled (=been to all
parts of) the world during my time in the navy. 3 [T] to move
(a stated distance) on a journey: We travelled 100 miles on our
first day. 4 [+adv./prep.] to pass, go, move, be sent etc: At what
speed does light travel? | Some wines travel badly. (=the taste
is spoiled when they are moved long distances) | The news
travelled fast. 5 [+adv./prep.] to go from place to place in order
to sell and take orders for one's firm's goods: My husband
travels for a London firm. | He travels in (=sells) cosmetics. ➔
see also TRAVELLER 6 [I] infml to go very quickly: That
motorbike was really travelling; it must have been doing 100
miles an hour. 7 (in BASKETBALL) to run with the ball without
bouncing {BOUNCE} | 8 have gun/typewriter/guitar etc,
will travel a phrase used by someone who is willing to travel
anywhere to do their job 9 travel light to travel without
many bags and cases
travel² n [U] travelling: They say travel broadens the mind.
(=teaches you things) | Snow and high winds have disrupted
travel in many parts of Britain. ➔ see also TRAVELS
Compare travel(s), journey, voyage, and trip. The
general activity of moving from place to place is travel
He came home after years of foreign travel. If a person
moves from place to place over a period of time we speak
of their travels: Did you go to Rome during your travels?
A journey (usually trip AmE) is the time spent and the
distance covered in going from one particular place to
another: a long journey by train from Paris to Moscow |
Persepolis was ten days' journey across the desert. A
voyage has the same meaning but is only by sea: The
voyage from England to Australia used to take several
months. A trip is a short journey, or one on which you
spend only a short time in another place, then come
back. We'll have time for a trip to France next weekend.
'travel agency also 'travel agent's, 'travel bureau n
a business that arranges travel, e.g. by buying tickets, find-
ing hotel rooms etc: He went into the travel agent's on
impulse and booked a week in France.
'travel agent n a person who owns or works in a travel
agency
trav-el-a-tor /'trævəleɪtər/ n a TRAVOLATOR
Trav-el-card /'trævəlkɑːdl-kɑːrd/ n a ticket that allows you
to travel for one day on the UNDERGROUND and all the buses
and trains in London, making as many journeys as you like
'travel expenses n AmE for TRAVELLING EXPENSES
trav-elled BrE || traveled AmE /'trævəld/ adj 1 (of a person)
experienced in travel to the stated degree: a much/widely
travelled writer 2 (of a road, area etc) used by travellers (to
the stated degree): a well travelled road
trav-el-ler BrE || traveler AmE /'trævəlɜːr/ n 1 a person on a
journey: She joined her fellow travellers. 2 [(in)] BrE a SALES
REPRESENTATIVE ➔ see also COMMERCIAL TRAVELLER 3 BrE for
GIPSY
'traveller's cheque n a cheque bought from a bank or
travel agency that can be exchanged for the money of the
country one is in, used by travellers abroad: to cash one's
traveller's cheques
trav-el-ling BrE || traveling AmE /'trævəlɪŋ/ adj [A] 1 that
travels: a travelling theatre company 2 carried by or used by
a traveller: a travelling alarm clock | a travelling rug 3 of or
connected with travel
'travelling expenses BrE || travel expenses AmE — n
[P] money paid back to one usually by an employer to
replace the cost of journeys made for that employer
'travelling people also travellers, 'travelling folk n
[P] BrE gipsies (GIPSY) or similar people who have no fixed
home and travel around the country
travelling 'salesman n a SALES REPRESENTATIVE
trav-el-ogue also -og AmE /'trævəloʊg|ˌloʊɡ, -ˌlɑːɡ/ n a film
or talk describing travel in a particular country, a person's
travels etc
trav-els /'trævəlz/ n [P] travelling; journeys, especially
abroad: He described some of the things he'd seen on/during
his travels. ➔ see TRAVEL (USAGE)
travel-sick /'trævəlˌsɪk/ adj sick because of the movement
of a vehicle —ness n [U]
tra-verse¹ /'trævɜːs|trə'vɜːrs/ v 1 [T] fml to pass across,
over, or through: The lights traversed the sky searching for
enemy planes. 2 [I] tech to make a traverse
tra-verse² /'trævɜːs|ˌɜːrs/ n tech a movement to the side
across the face of a very steep slope of rock or ice, to a place
where climbing is easier
trav-es-ty /'trævəsti/ n [(of)] a copy or example of something
that completely misrepresents the true or intended nature of
the real thing: So much information had been given in
advance to the newspapers that the politician's trial was a
travesty of justice. (=was very unjust)
Trav-is /'trævɪs/ a Scottish ROCK GROUP whose songs include
Driftwood, Sing, and Why Does It Always Rain on Me?
trav-o-la-tor, travelator /'trævəleɪtər/ BrE || moving
sidewalk AmE — n an endless moving band set into a floor
for moving people, saving them the effort of walking,
especially in airports and shopping centres
Tra-vol-ta, John /trə'vɒltə/ (1954-) a US actor, singer, and
dancer. He became very popular in the 1970s when he
appeared in the films Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease
(1978). Later, he played more serious parts, for example in
the films Pulp Fiction (1994) and Primary Colors (1997). ➔ see
colour photo on page A33