a syndrome which may be designated “Mediterranean dis - ease .” Mediterranean fever—(also: Malta fever) an enteric fever caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella: One should avoid direct contact with strange dogs as fleas, who live by sucking the animals’ blood, can transmit Mediterranean Fever to humans. meet someone • meet with someone meet someone—1. become acquainted with a person: I remember being swept completely off my feet when I first met Jim. 2. encounter a person for (casual) socializing: I first met him for coffee one evening. I was really unsure of our suit- ability after this first date…. 3. encounter (a friend, etc.) unex- pectedly: I last saw Tom about six months ago, met him quite by chance out in the middle of Wellington Harbor. 4. intro- duce a person: Good morning, boys! Meet Miss Marigold, my secretary and continuity girl. 5. go to meet smb. at the station, airport, etc.: He would go to the station and meet Miss Gale. 6. (of two sportsmen) compete against one another: Weaver must defend against James Tillis before meeting Cooney. meet with someone—1. = meet someone 2: He paid us a visit at home to introduce himself as our financial representative and I met with him for coffee near my office on another occa- sion…. 2. have a formal or pre-arranged meeting with a per- son: Teachers are meeting with the Minister of Education to talk about their demands for an increase in pay. meet something • meet with something meet something —1. be next to smth.; join together: We had rounded Cape Point, where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean. 2. encounter or confront smth.: Sometimes he meets a situation for which his moral rules do not provide. 3. deal satisfactorily with smth.: We will be able to meet this chal- lenge — not on our own but, rather, by collaborating with our many colleagues. 4. (of demands, standards, etc.) satisfy: It’s sad to tell students that they couldn’t stay because they didn’t meet the requirements. meet with smth.—1. find smth. (by chance): By applying to advertising offices I should have no doubt of very soon meeting with something that would do. 2. suffer or experience smth.: Her husband has met with a slight accident, but he isn’t seri- ously hurt. 3. = meet something 2: Liberalization meets with a situation in which many of the state’s institutions are dele- gitimized and ineffective. 4. (of an idea, opinion, etc.) be re- ceived: A number of member states tried to renegotiate the clause but met with a firm refusal. 5. correspond to smth.; be in keeping with smth.: The plan you submitted seems to meet with the committee’s idea on the subject. men in the street • street people men in the street—common people: This BBC camera crew went round collecting close-ups of men in the street saying what they think of things. street people —people who live in the streets; homeless people: There are a lot of cold street people at this time of the year. merge into something • merge with something merge into something—1. mix with smth., so as to become part of it: As new data become available, the information will be merged into the report. 2. fade or change gradually into smth.: The shadows merged into darkness as we huddled together around the fire’s flickering light and comfort. merge with something —(of business companies, etc.) combine to become one unit: The regional bank merged with the city bank in order to recover from a large amount of bad debt. middle age • Middle Ages middle age—the period in life when a person is no longer young but has not yet become old: He was growing stout with middle age . Middle Ages —in European history the period between about A.D. 1000 and A.D. 1400: During the Middle Ages the main economic units were the villages and manors. Middle West • West Midlands Middle West—the region of the USA near the northern Mis- sissippi: Mid-Westerners are concerned about the plight of the Indians, because the Indians are part of Middle West life. West Midlands—a metropolitan county of England: The biggest attraction of Dudley, located in West Midlands , is the Zoo situated in the grounds of Dudley Castle. miles away • miles off miles away —1. (hyperbolic) very far away: He trudges across an icy parking lot, toting skis slung over his shoulder. The nearest ski lift seems miles away . 2. not in reach or not readily attainable: Such a prospect is miles away from the school world implied by the proceedings at the recent education “summit.” 3. said of smb. unaware of what is happening around because one is thinking of smth. else: Her mother was pacing up and down and seemed miles away . She hadn’t noticed them at all. 4. said of smth. that can be noticed or recognized even though it may not be obvious: In a sea of voices, his is the one you’ll spot miles away ! miles off—(of a guess, calculation, etc.) completely wrong (also: miles out): Ken Beaton’s original estimate of the elephant, buffalo and hippo population had been miles off . military establishment • war establishment military establishment—1. a military body or institution: Colonel Wellesley was long occupied in organizing the civil as well as the military establishments . 2. an institution provid- ing military education and training: The institute was not or- ganized as a military establishment and was open to civilians. 3. the quota of officers and men in a regiment, ship, etc.: How large should America’s peacetime military establishment be? war establishment—augmentation of regiments, etc. to a certain number to meet war requirements: In the war estab - lishment of the squadron, there are additional troops provided for just such tasks. military power • war power military power —1. prerogative to decide enjoyed by military authority as contrasted to civil authority: The military power now humbled itself before the civil power. 2. potential capacity to wage warfare derived from military equipment: We know that, on account of the balance of military power , we have got to live with it [communism]. war power—emergency powers conferred on the govern- ment in wartime: It shall require a three fifths vote of the whole of both houses to authorize the use of war powers . milk and honey route • milk route milk and honey route—(U.S. tramps, dated) railroad: Have you ever hiked the milk-and-honey route from Ogden through the Mormon country? milk route—(also: milk round) a route on which milk or other products are regularly delivered to customers: The milk companies are saved most of the costs of distribution by deliv- ering the orange juice on their milk route . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase Milky Way— galaxy: The current position of the solar system in the Milky Way suggests that another period of greater comet bombardment is not far away. milk round • milk run milk round—1. (also: milk route) a route on which milk or meet someone – 236 –