Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

4 ADV [ADV after v] If you take something apart , you separate it into the pieces that it is made of. If it comes or falls apart , its parts separate from each other. □  When the clock stopped he took it apart to find out what was wrong. □  Many school buildings are unsafe, and some are falling apart.

5 ADV [ADV after v] If something such as an organization or relationship falls apart , or if something tears it apart , it can no longer continue because it has serious difficulties. □  Any manager knows that his company will start falling apart if his attention wanders.

6 ADV [ADV after v, n ADV ] If something sets someone or something apart , it makes them different from other people or things. □  What really sets Mr Thaksin apart is that he comes from northern Thailand.

7 ADJ If people or groups are a long way apart on a particular topic or issue, they have completely different views and disagree about it. □  Their concept of a performance and our concept were miles apart.

8 PHRASE If you can't tell two people or things apart , they look exactly the same to you. □  I can still only tell Mark and Dave apart by the colour of their shoes!

➋ apart ◆◇◇ /əpɑː ^r t/

1 PHRASE You use apart from when you are making an exception to a general statement. □  There were nine others apart from me and the trainer.

2 ADV [n ADV ] You use apart when you are making an exception to a general statement. □  This was, New York apart, the first American city I had ever been in where people actually lived downtown.

3 PHRASE You use apart from to indicate that you are aware of one aspect of a situation, but that you are going to focus on another aspect. □  Illiteracy threatens Britain's industrial performance. But, quite apart from that, the individual who cannot read or write is unlikely to get a job.

apart|heid /əpɑː ^r tha I t/ N‑UNCOUNT Apartheid was a political system in South Africa in which people were divided into racial groups and kept apart by law. □  He praised her role in the struggle against apartheid. □  …the anti-apartheid movement.

apart|ment ◆◇◇ /əpɑː ^r tmənt/ (apartments ) N‑COUNT An apartment is a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a large building. [mainly AM ] □  …bleak cities of concrete apartment blocks. in BRIT, use flat

apa rt|ment build|ing (apartment buildings ) or apartment house N‑COUNT An apartment building or apartment house is a tall building which contains different apartments on different floors. [AM ] in BRIT, use block of flats

apa|thet|ic /æ pəθe t I k/ ADJ If you describe someone as apathetic , you are criticizing them because they do not seem to be interested in or enthusiastic about doing anything. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  Even the most apathetic students are beginning to sit up and listen.

apa|thy /æ pəθi/ N‑UNCOUNT You can use apathy to talk about someone's state of mind if you are criticizing them because they do not seem to be interested in or enthusiastic about anything. [DISAPPROVAL ]

ape /e I p/ (apes , aping , aped )

1 N‑COUNT Apes are chimpanzees, gorillas, and other animals in the same family.

2 VERB If you ape someone's speech or behaviour, you imitate it. □ [V n] Modelling yourself on someone you admire is not the same as aping all they say or do.

ape|ri|tif /æpe r I tiː f/ (aperitifs ) N‑COUNT An aperitif is an alcoholic drink that you have before a meal.

ap|er|ture /æ pə ^r tʃə ^r / (apertures )

1 N‑COUNT An aperture is a narrow hole or gap. [FORMAL ] □  Through the aperture he could see daylight.

2 N‑COUNT In photography, the aperture of a camera is the size of the hole through which light passes to reach the film.

apex /e I peks/ (apexes )