word-vault

{ "term": "wheel", "partOfSpeech": "noun", "ox3000": true, "cefr": "a2", "definitions": [ { "senseNumber": 1, "definition": "one of the round objects under a car, bicycle, bus, etc. that turns when it moves", "sensetop": "on wheels", "cefr": "a2", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "He braked suddenly, causing the **front wheels** to skid." }, { "text": "the **rear wheels** of the car" }, { "text": "She was killed when she was crushed under the wheels of a bus." }, { "text": "I had lightweight wheels on my bike." }, { "text": "tractors with powered front wheels" }, { "text": "One of the boys was pushing the other along in a little box on wheels.", "contextForm": "on wheels" }, { "text": "A tyre blew and we had to change the wheel." }, { "text": "She braked too hard and the wheels locked." }, { "text": "She fell under the wheels of a bus." }, { "text": "The wheels were still going around." }, { "text": "the sound of wheels crunching over snow" } ], "topics": ["Transport by car or lorry"], "collocations": { "adjective": ["bicycle", "car", "etc."], "wheel + verb": ["go around", "go round", "spin"], "wheel + noun": ["arch", "base", "bearings"], "preposition": ["on wheels", "under the wheels"] } }, { "senseNumber": 2, "definition": "the round object used for controlling the direction in which a car, etc. or ship moves", "sensetop": "behind the wheelat the wheel", "cefr": "b1", "ox3000": true, "examples": [ { "text": "Always keep both hands on the wheel." }, { "text": "Never **get behind the wheel** if you're too tired.", "contextForm": "behind the wheel" }, { "text": "This is the first time I've sat behind the wheel since the accident." }, { "text": "A car swept past with Laura at the wheel.", "contextForm": "at the wheel" }, { "text": "Do you want to take the wheel *(= drive)* now?" }, { "text": "She fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a tree." }, { "text": "I drove the first 200 miles and then Steve took the wheel." }, { "text": "I saw the car drive past, but didn't recognize the woman behind the wheel." }, { "text": "I spend a lot of time behind the wheel." }, { "text": "The bus set off again with a fresh driver at the wheel." } ], "topics": ["Transport by water"], "collocations": { "verb + wheel": ["grip", "hold", "turn"], "wheel + noun": ["lock"], "preposition": ["at the wheel", "behind the wheel"], "phrases": [ "keep your hands on the steering wheel", "put your hands on the steering wheel", "take your hands off the steering wheel" ] } }, { "senseNumber": 3, "definition": "a car", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [ { "text": "At last he had his own wheels." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 4, "definition": "a flat, round part in a machine", "examples": [ { "text": "gear wheels" } ] }, { "senseNumber": 5, "definition": "an organization or a system that seems to work like a complicated machine that is difficult to understand", "sensetop": "wheel (of something)", "examples": [ { "text": "the wheels of bureaucracy/commerce/government" }, { "text": "It was Rob's idea. I merely **set the wheels in motion** *(= started the process)*." } ] }, { "senseNumber": 6, "definition": "having the number or type of wheels mentioned", "examples": [ { "text": "a sixteen-wheeled lorry" } ] }, { "senseNumber": 7, "definition": "a car, bicycle, etc. with the number of wheels mentioned", "examples": [ { "text": "a three-wheeler" } ], "collocations": { "adjective": ["bicycle", "car", "etc."], "wheel + verb": ["go around", "go round", "spin"], "wheel + noun": ["arch", "base", "bearings"], "preposition": ["on wheels", "under the wheels"] } }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "not paying enough attention to what you need to do", "examples": [ { "text": "Let's hope the regulators are not asleep at the wheel." }, { "text": "They were asleep on the job as the financial crisis deepened." }, { "text": "Someone must have been asleep at the switch to alow this to happen." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "a person who is a small part of a large organization", "labels": "(informal)", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to help something to happen easily and without problems, especially in business or politics", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to start working very hard at a particular task", "examples": [ { "text": "Everyone is going to have to put their shoulder to the wheel." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to prevent somebody from putting their plans into operation", "labels": "(British English)", "examples": [] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "to waste time creating something that already exists and works well", "examples": [ { "text": "There’s no point in us reinventing the wheel." } ] }, { "senseNumber": null, "definition": "a situation that is difficult to understand because it involves complicated or secret processes and decisions", "examples": [ { "text": "There are wheels within wheels in this organization—you never really know what is going on." } ] } ], "pronunciations": { "uk": [ { "pronunciation": "/wiːl/", "audio": "wh/wheel/wheel__gb_1.mp3" } ], "us": [ { "pronunciation": "/wiːl/", "audio": "wh/wheel/wheel__us_1.mp3" } ] }, "wordOrigin": "Old English hwēol (noun), of Germanic origin, from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit cakra ‘wheel, circle’ and Greek kuklos ‘circle’." }