NTC''''s Pocket Dictionary of Words and Phrases part 35 ppsx

justify ["dZ^s tI faI] tv. to explain
why one did something; to give a
good reason for something.
jut out (from
something
) to stick
outward or project from some-
thing.
jut out (into
something
) to stick
outward or project into an area.
jut out (over
someone or some-
thing
) to stick out or project over
someone or something.
juvenile ["dZu v@ naIl] 1. n. a
child [from a legal point of
view].
2. n. a young animal.
3. adj. youthful; for young
people.
justify
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kangaroo [kAN g@ "ru] n. a large
animal of Australia that hops on
its hind legs. (Plural ends in -s.)
keel ["kil] n. the main beam along

the bottom of a boat or ship on
which the frame is built.
keel over to fall over; to capsize.
keen ["kin] 1. adj. [of a cutting
edge] sharp. (Adv: keenly. Comp:
keener; sup: keenest.)
2. adj. [of a
sense of taste, vision, hearing,
touch, or smell] very sensitive or
sharp. (Figurative on Q. Adv:
keenly. Comp: keener; sup: keen-
est.)
keen on
doing something
willing or
eager to do something.
keep ["kip] 1. tv., irreg. to cause
someone or something to remain
somewhere. (Past tense and past
participle:
kept.) 2. tv., irreg. to
have something for a period of
time; to continue to have some-
thing.
3. iv. to continue to do
something.
keep a civil tongue (in
one’s
head) to speak decently and
politely. (Also with have.)

keep a close rein on
someone or
something
Go to keep a tight rein
on
someone or something
.
keep a secret to know a secret and
not tell anyone.
keep a stiff upper lip to be cool
and unmoved by disturbing
events. (Also with have.)
keep a straight face to make one’s
face stay free from laughter.
keep a tight rein on
someone or
something
and keep a close
rein on
someone or something
to
watch and control someone or
something closely.
keep after
someone
(about
some-
thing
) to nag someone about
something.

keep an eye out (for
someone or
something
) to watch for the arrival
or appearance of someone or
something. (Also with have. The
an can be replaced by one’s.)
keep at
someone
(about
some-
thing
) to harass someone about
something.
keep at
something
to continue to
do something; to continue to try
to do something.
keep away (from
someone or
something
) to avoid someone or
something; to maintain a physical
distance from someone or some-
thing.
keep back (from
someone or
something
) to continue to stay in a

position away from someone or
something.
keep body and soul together to
feed, clothe, and house oneself.
keep from
doing something
to
avoid doing something; to refrain
from doing something.
keep late hours to stay up or stay
out until very late; to work late.
keep off ((of )
something
) to
remain off something; not to tres-
pass on something.
keep on an even keel to remain
cool and calm.
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keep on
someone
(about
some-
thing

) to nag someone about
something.
keep on (
something
) to work to
remain mounted on something,
such as a horse, bicycle, etc.
keep on
something
to pay close
attention to something.
keep
one’s
ear to the ground Go
to
have
one’s
ear to the ground.
keep
one’s
eye on a ball 1. to
watch or follow the ball carefully,
especially when one is playing a
ball game; to follow the details of a
ball game very carefully.
2. to
remain alert to the events occur-
ring around one.
keep
one’s

feet on the ground to
remain sensible and able to func-
tion reasonably.
keep
one’s
head above water to
stay ahead of one’s responsibilities.
keep
one’s
nose to the grind-
stone to keep busy continuously
over a period of time.
keep
one’s
opinions to
oneself
to
stop mentioning one’s own opin-
ions, especially when they disagree
with someone else’s.
keep
one’s
temper and hold
one’s
temper not to get angry; to hold
back an expression of anger.
keep
one’s
weather eye open to
watch for something (to happen);

to be on the alert (for something);
to be on guard.
keep
one’s
word to uphold one’s
promise.
keep (
oneself
) to
oneself
to remain
private; not to mix with other peo-
ple very much.
keep out (of
something
) 1. to
remain uninvolved with some-
thing.
2. to remain outside some-
thing or someplace.
keep
someone
at
something
to
make sure someone continues to
work at something.
keep
someone
back 1. to hold a

child back in school.
2. to keep
someone from advancing in life.
keep
someone
down to prevent
someone from advancing or suc-
ceeding.
keep
someone
from
doing some-
thing
to prevent someone from
doing something.
keep
someone
in stitches to cause
someone to laugh loud and hard,
over and over. (Also with have.)
keep
someone
on to retain some-
one in employment longer than is
required or was planned.
keep
someone or something
back
to hold someone or something in
reserve.

keep
someone or something
hang-
ing in midair to maintain some-
one or something in a state of
waiting before reaching an ending
or completion.
keep
someone or something
in
mind and bear
someone or
something
in mind to remember
and think about someone or
something.
keep
someone or something
off Go
to
hold
someone or something
off.
keep
someone or something
out
(of
something
) 1. to prevent
someone or something from get-

ting into something or some place.
keep on someone (about something)
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2. to keep the subject of someone
or something out of a discussion.
keep
someone
posted to keep
someone informed (of what is
happening); to keep someone up-
to-date.
keep
someone
up 1. to hold some-
one upright.
2. to prevent some-
one from going to bed or going to
sleep.
keep
something
on to continue to
wear an article of clothing.
keep
something
on an even keel
to keep something in a steady and
untroubled state.
keep

something
to
oneself
to keep
something a secret.
keep
something
under
one’s
hat to
keep something a secret; to keep
something in one’s mind (only).
keep
something
under wraps to
keep something concealed (until
some future time).
keep
something
up 1. to hold or
prop something up.
2. to continue
doing something.
3. to maintain
something in good order.
keep the home fires burning to
keep things going at one’s home or
other central location, maintain-
ing a routine.
keep the wolf from the door to

maintain oneself at a minimal
level; to keep from starving, freez-
ing, etc.
keep up (with the Joneses) to
stay financially even with one’s
peers; to try hard to get the same
amount of material goods that
one’s friends and neighbors have.
keep up (with the times) to stay
in fashion; to keep up with the
news; to be contemporary or mod-
ern.
keeper ["kip #] n. someone who
keeps someone or something; a
protector; a guard; someone who
cares for animals in a zoo. (See
also
zookeeper.)
keepsake ["kip sek] n. something
that is kept to remind the owner of
someone or something; a
memento.
keg ["kEg] 1. n. a small wooden
barrel, especially one that holds
100 pounds of nails.
2. n. a small
metal barrel, especially one that
holds beer.
→
sitting on a powder keg

kennel ["kEn @l] n. a place where
dogs are kept.
kept ["kEpt] past tense and past
participle of
keep.
ketchup and catsup ["kEtS @p,
"ket s@p
] n. a thick liquid, made
from tomatoes, that is put on food
for flavoring. (Plural only for
types and instances.)
kettle ["kEt @l] n. a large cooking
pot; a pot for heating liquids.
→ a
fine kettle of fish
→ the pot calling the kettle black
key ["ki] 1. n. a device that unlocks
or locks a lock; something that
unlocks something that is locked.
2. n. something that gives access to
an answer or a solution; something
that provides the answers or solu-
tions for something. (Figurative
on Q.)
3. n. a part of a machine or
instrument that is pressed down to
make something happen, as on a
computer keyboard, a typewriter,
or a piano.
4. n. a musical scale

that begins on a particular note; a
key
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set of related musical notes. 5. adj.
important; essential; basic.
keyboard ["ki bord] 1. n. a row of
keys that make a certain musical
sound when pressed.
2. n. an elec-
tronic device that creates music.
3. n. the rows of keys standing for
letters, symbols, and numbers as
found on typewriters, computers,
etc.
keynote ["ki not] adj. [of a speech
or a speaker] primary or main.
(Prenominal only.)
keypad ["ki pAd] 1. n. [on a com-
puter] a special, separate set of
number keys arranged as on a cal-
culator.
2. n. any small control
panel having an arrangement of
push buttons, as found on a tele-
phone or a calculator.
kick ["kIk] 1. tv. to strike someone
or something with the foot, usu-
ally the toe of a shoe or boot.

2. iv.
to move one’s legs back and forth
as if
kicking something as in Q.
3. n. an act of striking someone or
something with the foot, as in Q.
kick back (at
someone or some-
thing
) to kick at someone or some-
thing in revenge.
kick
something
back (to
someone
or something
) to move something
back to someone, something, or
someplace by kicking.
kick
something
down to break
down something by kicking.
kick
something
in to break through
something by kicking.
kick
something
out (of

something
)
to move something out of some-
thing or someplace by kicking.
kick up a fuss and kick up a
row; kick up a storm to become
a nuisance; to misbehave and dis-
turb (someone). (Row rhymes
with cow.)
kick up a row Go to kick up a fuss.
kick up a storm Go to kick up a
fuss.
kick up
one’s
heels to celebrate; to
act free or liberated.
kid ["kId] 1. n. a child; a youngster.
(Informal.)
2. n. a baby goat. 3. n.
the skin of W. (No plural.)
4. tv.
to tease someone; to joke with
someone; to trick someone.
5. adj.
[of a brother or sister] younger.
(Informal. Prenominal only.)
→
handle
someone
with kid gloves

kid stuff Go to kid’s stuff.
kidney ["kId ni] 1. n. one of the two
organs that separate waste and
water from the bloodstream, cre-
ating urine.
2. the adj. use of Q.
kid’s stuff and kid stuff a very
easy task.
kill ["kIl] 1. tv. to cause the death of
someone or something directly.
2. tv. to end something; to cause
something to end. (Figurative on
Q.)
3. iv. to cause death. 4. n. an
animal that is hunted and
killed as
in Q. (No plural.)
kill
someone or something
off to
kill all of a group of people or
creatures.
kill the fatted calf to prepare an
elaborate banquet (in someone’s
honor).
kill the goose that laid the
golden egg
to destroy the source
of one’s good fortune.
kill time to waste time.

kill two birds with one stone to
solve two problems with one solu-
keyboard
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tion; to achieve two good results
from one action.
killed outright killed immediately.
killer ["kIl #] n. someone or some-
thing that kills; someone or some-
thing that causes death.
kilogram ["kIl @ grAm] n. a metric
unit of weight, equal to 1,000
grams or about 2.2 pounds.
kilometer [kI "lam @ t#] n. a metric
unit of distance, equal to 1,000
meters or about ⁵⁄₈ of a mile.
kilowatt ["kIl @ wat] n. a metric
unit of electrical power, equal to
1,000 watts per hour.
kin ["kIn] n. family; relatives. (No
plural form. Treated as plural.)
→
someone’s
next of kin
kind ["kaInd] 1. n. a sort; a type; a
variety.
2. adj. thoughtful; helpful.
(Adv: kindly. Comp: kinder; sup:

kindest.)
→
two of a kind
kindergarten ["kIn d# gard n] n.
the grade before first grade, usu-
ally for children between the ages
of 4 and 6.
kindness ["kaInn@s] n. the quality
of being kind; politeness and car-
ing.
→
do
someone
a kindness
→ the milk of human kindness
king ["kIN] 1. n. the male ruler of a
nation where the head of the
country inherits his office from a
previous ruler.
2. n. a playing card
with a picture of Q on it.
3. n. a
playing piece in chess that can
move one space in any direction.
→
fit for a king
kingdom ["kIN d@m] 1. n. a country
ruled by a king or queen.
2. n. one
of three kinds of life forms—such

as the animal or plant
kingdom.
kiss ["kIs] 1. n. a touching of one’s
lips to someone or something,
especially someone else’s lips.
2. tv.
to touch one’s lips to someone or
something, especially someone
else’s lips.
3. iv. [for two people] to
kiss each other on the lips, as in W.
kiss and make up to forgive
(someone) and be friends again.
(Also used literally.)
the
kiss of death an act that puts
an end to someone or something.
kiss
something
good-bye to antici-
pate or experience the loss of
something.
kit ["kIt] 1. n. a container or carry-
ing device that holds tools, equip-
ment, or supplies for a specific
purpose.
2. n. the parts and
instructions needed to build a par-
ticular thing, such as a model air-
plane.

→
first-aid kit
kitchen ["kItS @n] 1. n. a room
where food is stored and cooked.
2. the adj. use of Q.
→
everything but the kitchen sink
kite ["kaIt] n. a small wooden
frame covered with cloth, paper,
or plastic and attached to a long
string—flown in the wind for
amusement.
→
(as) high as a kite
kitten ["kIt n] n. a baby cat; a young
cat.
→
(as) weak as a kitten
knee ["ni] 1. n. the front part of the
joint in the middle of the leg.
2. n.
the part of a pants leg that covers
Q.
knee
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kneecap ["ni kAp] n. the flat bone
at the front of the knee.
kneel ["nil] iv., irreg. to put the

weight of one’s body on one or
both knees. (Past tense and past
participle: kneeled or
knelt.)
kneel down (before
someone or
something
) to show respect by get-
ting down on one’s knees in the
presence of someone or some-
thing.
knelt ["nElt] a past tense and past
participle of
kneel.
knew ["nu] past tense of know.
knew it was coming and (had)
known it was coming to have
known in advance that something
was to happen.
knife ["naIf] 1. n., irreg. a long, flat
utensil or tool that has a handle
and a sharp edge used for cutting.
(Plural:
knives.) 2. tv. to stab
someone or something.
knit ["nIt] tv. to make a fabric or
clothing by using long needles to
loop yarn or thread together.
knit
one’s

brow to wrinkle one’s
brow, especially by frowning.
knives ["naIvz] plural of knife.
knock ["nak] 1. iv. to hit one’s
knuckles against something.
2. n.
the noise made by rapping or tap-
ping as with Q.
3. n. a sharp hit; a
rap; a thump.
4. tv. to hit or bump
something and make it move or
fall; to hit something against
someone or something.
knock it off to stop talking; to be
silent. (Usually a rude command.)
knock on wood a phrase said to
cancel out imaginary bad luck.
(Often said when one has just
mentioned something good that
one hopes will succeed or con-
tinue.)
knock
someone
cold 1. to knock
someone out. (Informal.)
2. to
stun someone; to shock someone.
knock
someone

for a loop Go to
throw
someone
for a loop.
knock
someone or something
down to thrust someone or some-
thing to the ground by force.
knock
someone
out 1. to knock
someone unconscious.
2. to make
someone unconsciousness.
3. to
wear someone out; to exhaust
someone.
knock
someone
over to surprise or
overwhelm someone. (Figurative.)
knock (up) against
someone or
something
to bump against some-
one or something.
knot ["nat] 1. n. a tight lump made
where pieces of rope, cord, hair,
string, etc., are tied together.
2. n.

a hard circle of wood in a board,
where a small branch was joined.
3. n. a unit of speed equal to 1.15
miles per hour, used to measure
the movement of ships and wind
at sea.
4. tv. to tie something in Q;
to fasten something with Q.
5. iv.
to become tied or twisted into Q.
→
tie the knot
→ tie
someone
in knots
know ["no] 1. tv., irreg. to have met
and become familiar with some-
one. (Past tense:
knew; past par-
ticiple:
known.) 2. tv., irreg. to
understand something; to have
had experience with something.
3. tv., irreg. to recognize someone
or something.
4. tv., irreg. to have
knowledge about someone or
kneecap
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something; to have information
about someone or something.
(The object can be a clause with
that U.)
→
(had) known it was coming
→ in the know
→ let
someone
know (about
something
)
→ not know
one’s
own strength
→ not know
someone
from Adam
→ not know enough to come in
out of the rain
know (all) the tricks of the
trade
to possess the skills and
knowledge necessary to do some-
thing.
know better to be wise, experi-
enced, or well taught.
know
one’s

ABCs to know the most
basic things (like the alphabet)
about something.
know
someone
by sight to know
the name and recognize the face of
someone.
know
someone or something
like a
book Go to know
someone or some-
thing
like the palm of
one’s
hand.
know
someone or something
like
the back of
one’s
hand Go to
know
someone or something
like the
palm of
one’s
hand.
know

someone or something
like
the palm of
one’s
hand and
know
someone or something
like
the back of
one’s
hand; know
someone or something
like a
book to know someone or some-
thing very well.
know
something
from memory to
have memorized something so
that one does not have to consult a
written version; to know some-
thing well from having seen it very
often.
know
something
in
one’s
bones
Go to feel
something

in
one’s
bones.
know
something
inside out to
know something thoroughly; to
know about something thor-
oughly.
know the ropes to know how to
do something.
know the score and know
what’s what to know the facts; to
know the facts about life and its
difficulties.
know what’s what Go to know the
score.
know when
one
is not wanted to
sense when one’s presence is not
welcome; to know when one is
not among friends. (Usually said
when someone feels hurt by being
ignored by people.)
know which side
one’s
bread is
buttered on to know what is
most advantageous for oneself.

know-how knowledge and skill.
(Informal.)
knowledge ["nal IdZ] n. the infor-
mation that is known about some-
one or something. (No plural.)
known ["non] Past participle of
know.
known fact something that is gen-
erally recognized as a fact.
known quantity someone whose
character, personality, and behav-
ior are recognized and under-
stood.
knuckle ["n^k @l] n. the joint
between the bones of a finger or
the joint between a finger and the
hand.
knuckle
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lab ["lAb] n. laboratory.
label ["leb @l] 1. n. a small notice
bearing important information.
2. tv. to attach Q to something.
labor ["leb #] 1. n. a kind of work,
especially hard, physical work.
(No plural.)
2. n. workers, espe-
cially in contrast to people in

management. (No plural. Treated
as singular.)
3. n. the work a
woman’s body does to bring about
birth; the contractions of the
womb in the process of giving
birth. (No plural.)
4. the adj. use
of Q, W, or E.
5. iv. to work
hard.
→ the
fruit(s) of
one’s
labor(s)
→ in labor
→
one’s
labor(s)
labor of love a task that is either
unpaid or badly paid and that one
does simply for one’s own satisfac-
tion or pleasure to please someone
whom one likes or loves.
labor pains ["leb # "penz] n. the
(mother’s) pains that accompany
the birth of a child.
laboratory ["lAb r@ tor i] 1. n. a
room or building that contains
scientific equipment for experi-

ments, tests, manufacture, or
instruction. (Often shortened to
lab.) 2. the adj. use of Q.
lace ["les] 1. n. a delicate web of
cotton or other thread woven into
a design or pattern. (No plural.)
2. n. a string used for tying some-
thing closed, especially for tying
one’s shoes closed; a
shoelace.
3. adj. made of Q.
lace into
someone or something
to
set to work on someone or some-
thing; to
attack E someone or
something.
lace
something
(up) to tie some-
thing closed, especially one’s
shoes, using a string that goes
through a series of holes or loops.
lack ["lAk] 1. n. a shortage of some-
thing; the condition of not having
any of something.
2. tv. to need
something; not to have enough of
something; to be without some-

thing.
lacy ["les i] 1. adj. made of lace.
(Adv: lacily. Comp: lacier; sup: lac-
iest.)
2. adj. delicate and complex
like lace; having a delicate pattern.
(Figurative on Q. Adv: lacily.
Comp: lacier; sup: laciest.)
ladder ["lAd #] n. a set of steps
attached to two side pieces, used
for climbing up to reach some-
thing or climbing down from
something.
→
at the bottom of the ladder
ladies’ man a man who likes the
company of women and whose
company is liked by women, the
suggestion being that he likes to
flirt with them.
ladle ["led l] 1. n. a large, deep
spoon with a long handle, used for
serving a liquid from a bowl.
2. tv.
to serve a liquid using Q.
lady ["led i] 1. n. a refined woman.
(Compare this with
gentleman.)
2. n. a woman. (Also a term of
address.)

lady-killer a man who is very
popular with women and who
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likes to flirt and make love with
them; a man whom women can-
not resist.
lag ["lAg] n. a delay; the period of
time between the end of one event
and the start of another.
lag behind (
someone or some-
thing
) to fall behind someone or
something; to linger behind some-
one or something.
laid ["led] past tense and past par-
ticiple of
lay.
→
kill the goose that laid the
golden egg
lain ["len] a past participle of lie E.
lair ["lEr] n. an animal’s shelter; the
place where an animal sleeps.

lake ["lek] n. a large body of water
surrounded by land.
lamb ["lAm] 1. n. a young sheep.
2. n. the meat of Q used as food.
(No plural.)
→
(as) innocent as a lamb
→ in two shakes of a lamb’s tail
→ like a lamb to the slaughter
→ like lambs to the slaughter
lame ["lem] adj. not able to walk
properly; limping; crippled. (Adv:
lamely. Comp: lamer; sup: lamest.)
lamp ["lAmp] 1. n. a device that
makes light; an electric light bulb.
2. n. a stand—often ornamental—
that holds an electric light bulb.
lamppost ["lAmp post] n. a post
that supports a street light.
lampshade ["lAmp Sed] n. a cover
that fits over the electric light bulb
in a lamp to soften the glare of the
light.
land ["lAnd] 1. n. the dry, solid part
of the earth’s surface; the part of
the earth’s surface that is not cov-
ered with water. (No plural.)
2. n.
ground; dirt; soil. (No plural.)
3. n. a portion of Q; an area of

ground. (No plural.)
4. n. a coun-
try.
5. iv. [for someone or some-
thing that is moving or falling
through the air] to stop and come
to rest somewhere, especially on
the ground.
6. iv. [for an airplane]
to return to the ground safely.
7. tv. [for a pilot] to return an air-
plane to the ground safely.
→
do a land-office business
→ lay of the land
→ live off the fat of the land
→ on land
the land of Nod sleep. (Humorous.
From the fact that people some-
times nod when they are falling
asleep. This is a pun, because the
land of Nod is also the name of a
place referred to in the Bible.)
land
someone
with
someone or
something
to give or pass on some-
one or something unpleasant or

unwanted to someone else.
land up
somehow
or
somewhere
to
finish somehow or somewhere; to
come to be in a certain state or
place at the end. (Usually in the
wrong place or in a bad situation.)
land (up)on
someone or something
to light or come to rest on some-
one or something.
landing ["lAn dIN] n. [an airplane’s]
coming to earth; [a pilot’s] act of
bringing a plane to earth.
landing strip n. the runway or
strip of pavement or earth where a
plane leaves and returns to earth,
especially if short or privately
owned.
landing strip
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TLFeBOOK