Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary полностью

1 VERB If a person threatens to do something unpleasant to you, or if they threaten you, they say or imply that they will do something unpleasant to you, especially if you do not do what they want. □ [V to-inf] He said army officers had threatened to destroy the town. □ [V n + with ] He tied her up and threatened her with a six-inch knife. □ [V n] If you threaten me or use any force, I shall inform the police. [Also V that]

2 VERB If something or someone threatens a person or thing, they are likely to harm that person or thing. □ [V n] The newcomers directly threaten the livelihood of the established workers. □ [be V -ed + with ] 30 percent of reptiles, birds, and fish are currently threatened with extinction.

3 VERB If something unpleasant threatens to happen, it seems likely to happen. □ [V to-inf] The fighting is threatening to turn into full-scale war.

4 → see also threatened , threatening

threat|ened /θre t ^ə nd/

1 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If you feel threatened , you feel as if someone is trying to harm you. □  Anger is the natural reaction we experience when we feel threatened or frustrated. [Also + by ]

2 → see also threaten

threat|en|ing ◆◇◇ /θre tən I ŋ/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe someone's behaviour as threatening when you think that they are trying to harm you. □  The police could have charged them with threatening behaviour. ●  threat|en|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □  'This ain't no affair of yours, boy!' McClosky said threateningly.

2 → see also life-threatening , threaten

three ◆◆◆ /θriː / (threes ) NUM Three is the number 3. □  We waited three months before going back to see the specialist.

three -co rnered ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something such as a disagreement, competition, or game as three-cornered , you mean that it involves three people, groups, or teams. [mainly BRIT ] □  …the three-cornered struggle between employers and male and female workers.

three -dime nsional

1 ADJ A three-dimensional object is solid rather than flat, because it can be measured in three different directions, usually the height, length, and width. The abbreviation 3-D can also be used. □  …a three-dimensional model.

2 ADJ A three-dimensional picture, image, or film looks as though it is deep or solid rather than flat. The abbreviation 3-D can also be used. □  …new software, which generates both two-dimensional drawings and three-dimensional images.

3 ADJ If you describe fictional characters as three-dimensional you mean that they seem real and natural. [APPROVAL ] □  She is a full, three-dimensional character in a way that is unusual for the horror genre.

4 ADJ [ADJ n] Three-dimensional art or design is produced by carving or shaping stone, wood, clay, or other materials. The abbreviation 3-D can also be used. □  …a degree in three-dimensional art.

three -fou rths QUANT In American English, people sometimes use three-fourths to mean three-quarters . □  Three-fourths of the apartments in the ghetto had no heat. ● PRON Three-fourths is also a pronoun. □  He has just under 1,600 delegates, about three-fourths what he needs to win the Democratic presidential nomination.

three -line whi p (three-line whips ) N‑COUNT A three-line whip is a situation where the MPs in a political party are ordered to attend parliament and vote in a particular way on a particular issue. [BRIT ]

three -pie ce

1 ADJ [ADJ n] A three-piece suit is a set of three pieces of matching clothing, usually a man's jacket, waistcoat, and trousers.