本词典的优点在于提供了较多由常用词构成的例句帮助学习者了解短语动词的词义和掌握其用途。知解、只能是欲速而不达。为此，词典使用者应注意使用短评动词的场合和方法，编者通过某些缩略词向使用者提供有关语域、地区和国家、态度和正式程度等信息，通过例句说明哪些短评动词可分可合。

abut against

or someone): (Tl + from) The thieves ab-

stracted the jewellery from her drawer.

abutagalnst vprep

to come to an end at (somewhere such as a

point): [L9 + against (usu. simple tenses)]

The wall abuts against the corner of the field

which is the other farmer's property.

abuton vprep->border on(1),verge on(1)

fml (of land or a building) to lie next to;

touch (something): [L9 + on (no pass., usu.

simple tenses)] The newly mdependent repub-

lic abuts on the lake.

accedeto vprep

1 fml to follow someone and take (a position,

etc.): [10 + to (usu. simple tenses)] When his

father died, the prince acceded to the position

ofhead ofstate. ->succeed to

2 fml to give approval to (a request, agree-

ment, etc.): [10 + to (usu. simple tenses)] The

directors have agreed lo accede to the workers'

demands. By signing the papers, all the parties

acceded to the conlract. -?agree to, etc.

acceptas vprep->> acknowledge as

to believe that (something or someone) is

(what he/she/it is claimed to be): [Tl + as]

The crowd accepted his statement as truth. The

king accepted the girl as his daughler.

acclimatlze to v prep -?adapt to, etc.

to accustom (someone or oneself) to (dif-

ferent weather, ideas, etc.): [Tl + to (often

pass.)] Il takes mountain climbers several days

lo acclimatize themselves to the thinner air al

great heights.

accommodate to v prep -> adapt to, ete.

fml to changa (something) to suit (something

else): [Tl + to] When someone stops work-

ing, they have to accommodate their desires to

a new standard ofliving. This chair accommo-

dates its shape to a person's position.

accommodate with vprep

finl to provide (someone) with (something),

often as a favour: [Tl + withJ It was very

good ofyou to acconunodate me with the tick-

et for my journey.

accompanywith vprep

to add to (something) (something done or

happening at the same time): [Tl + with

(usu. simple tenses)] The speaker accompanied

his angry words with forceful movements of

the hands.

ccordwith vprep

finl to match or suit (something): [Tl (no

pass.,simple tenses)] Unfortumtely, Ihe young

man's political principles do not accord wilh

those of his father. The govemment's recenl

statemenl of the unemployment figures does

not accord with the facts.

ccountfor vprep

1 to be or give a reason for (something or do-

ing something); explain: [Tl (often simple

ienses)] He could not account for his foolish

mistake. Melting snow accounts for the regular

spring floods in the valley. [T4 (often simple

tenses)] How do you accountfor losing such a

largesum ofmoney? [T6a (often simple tenses)]

Can you acwuntfor why our team tost?

2 also answer tor to give a statement about

(something), esp. one showing how money or

goods left in one's care have been dealt with:

[Tl (lo) (often simple tenses)] You have to

account to Head Office for any slamps that

you use. All the men are present or accounted

for, sir. [T6a (ofien simple tenses)] You'll have

to account for where every penny goes. -un-

accounted for adj

3 infml to kill, shoot, or catch (aeroplanes,

people, animals): [Tl (usu. simple tenses)]

The gunmen accoimted for five terrorists at the

airport. After a long hunt, the fox was at last

accountedfor.

4 to give back money or suffer punishment

for (a wrongdoing): (Tl (usu. simple tenses)]

It will take him twenty years in prison to

accountfor such a terrible crime.

5 account for preterences-tastes to be able to

explain people's likes and dislikes: [(usu.

neg.)] Have you seen the man she married? h

shows thal there's no accounting for tastes!

* account to v prep -?ANSWER TO (4)

'accredit to vprep

fml to state that (something) belongs to, was

done by, or is connected with (someone):

[Dl (often pass.)] The soldier was respected

for the brave deed which had been accrediled

to him.

* accredtt wtth v prep -?CRECHT WITH (2)

accrueto vprep

(esp. of money) to come to (someone), by

right, etc.: [10 + to] Money kept in a savings

bank will accrue to you with interest.

accuse of v prep

to say that (someone) is guilty of (something

wrong): [Tl + of] She accused her brother of

the crime. She accused her brother of stealing

the jewels.

* accustom to v prep -> habituate to, usa to

to make (someone, oneself, or something)

used to (something or someone): [Dl (often

pass.)] l am not accustomed to your laws. Let

the child get accustomed to her new teacher. It

is difficult to accustom oneselfto the new ideas

of younger people. [V4b (often pass.)] 1 am

not accustomed lo public speaking. You have

to accustom yourself gradually to using metric

measurements.

achefor vprep

1 to feel pity for (someone): (10 + for] My

heart aches for you. -?feel for (4)

* 2 to have a great desire for (something or

someone): [Tl (pass. rare)] All winter l have

been aching for sunshine.

acknowledge as v prep -?accept as

to recognize formally (someone or some-

thing) as (what he/she/it is claimed to be):

[Tl + as] The people acknowledged the victo-

rious enemy as their new rulers. You have lo

acknowledge your defeal as complete.

*acqualnt with vprep

1 to make (someone or oneself) familiar with

(something): [Dl] You should acquaint your-

self with thefacts before making a decision.

2 be acquainted wtth to know (someone or

something): I. am not acquainted with your

aunt. l'm nol acquainled with this piece of

music.

?acqulesce In/to vprep-* agreeto.etc.

fml to accept or give no opposition to (some-

thing such as a plan): [Tl (usu. simple lenses)]

Ht acquiesced in the new arrangements his

parents had made for him. The late delivery of

letters by Ihe Posl Office is moslly acquiesced

to wilhout complaint.

acquttof vprep

law to declare that (someone) is not guilty of

(blame, a crime, etc.): [Tl + of(oflen pass.)]

The young man was acqwtted ofthe murder.

昦ctas vprep

to fulfil the purpose of (something); [Ll] A

trained dog can act as a guide lo a blind per-

son.

昦ctfor vprep-> appearfof, plead for (2)

to represent (someone); perform duties as a

lawyer, etc., in the place of: [Tl {pass. rare)}

Mr Jones will acl for you on this case. As the

chmrman is ill, I am asking Mr Sharp to act

for him.

act on/upon v prep

1 to perform on (something): [10 + onlupon]

"It's a long time since l acted on this stage."

said the actor. -?appear on (2)

2 to have an effect on (something [10 + onl

upon] The medicine acted on his ver al once.

*3 to behave according to; follow (some-

thing); take action as a result of (something):

[Tl] The police are acting on inforrnation re-

ceived.

actout v adv

1 to play (a part), esp. in actions and be-

haviour rather than in words: (Tl + our]

Lel's act out the story of the three bears once

more.

* 2 to giye expression to (thoughts, uncon-

scious fears, etc.) in actions and behaviour

rather than in words; perform (one's feel-

ings): [Tl] Children often act out their trou-

bled feelinyf in their games. [10] Don't (ake

her seriously, she's just acting out. -> play out

(6)

'actup vadv

1 ->PLAY UP(4)

2 infml (of part of the body) to become

painful: [10] Mother's leg seemed quite better

after her operalion, but recently it's been acting

up agan, -?play up (5)

'aptupto vadvpwp->> UVEUPTO(1)

actupon v prep-^AcT oN

adapt as v prep

lo change (something) to become (something

else): [Tl + as (often pass.)} Many of Dick-

addup

ens' books have been adapted as films.

adaptfor v prep

to change (something) to suit (something

else): [Tl + for (often pass.)] Several of

D.H. Lawrenre's books have been adapted for

the cinema. Many city vehicles have been

adapled for use as school huses.

adapt from v prep

to change (something) from (its former

state): [Tl + from (pften pass.)] The film

"A Clockwork Orange" was adaptedfrom the

book of the same name.

adapt to v prep -?accllmatlze to, accommodate

to

to become used to; change (something, some-

one, or oneself) to suit or be able to deal with

(usu. something): [10 + to] Many British,

people have had difficulty in adapling to

metric measurements, [Tl + to] It is difficult

lo adapl oneselfto sudden changes oftempera-

ture. We must adapl owr needs to our income.

The hospital was quickly adapted to the special

needs ofthe sick children.

add in v adv

to add (something), usu. in the middle of a

mixture or calculation; include: [Tl + IN]

Add in the flour a little at a lime. Before you

finish ihe totals, please add in these new

figures.

add on v adv

to add (something), usu. at the end of a cal-

culation or list: [Tl + ON] Please add these

names on at Ihe end. The price does not in-

clude tax added on.

add to v prep

1 to make a sum of (one figure and another

or others); put (something) with (something)

so as to increase it: [Tl + to] Add the firsl

total to the second (and third). Can we afford

to add another room to the house?

* 2 to increase (something): [Tl] The bad

weather added to the helplessness of the ship-

wrecked sailors.

3 add fuel to the flames notfml to make some-

one feel even more strongly about something:

Nothing would help her -when she became

angry and trying to calm her down just added

fliel lo the flames.

4 add insult to Injury not fml to make matters

even worse, esp. by causing someone sorrow

as well as harm: Expecting him to pay for the

damage which they had caused was simply

adding insult to injury.

add together v adv

to make a total or whole: [Tl + TOGETHER]

When you add all the figures together, the sum

is 728. [10 + TOOETHER (simple lenses)] The

facls add logether lo give a hopeless picture of

the firm's future.

add up v adv

1 to (cause to) make a total of (numbers):

[Tl + Up] Add these figures up and see what

the total is. (10 + up (simple tenses)} These