Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

2 N‑COUNT Someone's appetite for something is their strong desire for it. □  …Americans' growing appetite for scandal.

ap|pe|tiz|er /æ p I ta I zə ^r / (appetizers ) in BRIT, also use appetiser N‑COUNT An appetizer is the first course of a meal. It consists of a small amount of food.

ap|pe|tiz|ing /æ p I ta I z I ŋ/ in BRIT, also use appetising ADJ Appetizing food looks and smells good, so that you want to eat it. □  …the appetising smell of freshly baked bread.

ap|plaud /əplɔː d/ (applauds , applauding , applauded )

1 VERB When a group of people applaud , they clap their hands in order to show approval, for example when they have enjoyed a play or concert. □ [V ] The audience laughed and applauded. □ [V n] Every person stood to applaud his unforgettable act of courage.

2 VERB When an attitude or action is applauded , people praise it. □ [be V -ed + for ] He should be applauded for his courage. □ [be V -ed] This last move can only be applauded. □ [V n] She applauds the fact that they are promoting new ideas.

ap|plause /əplɔː z/ N‑UNCOUNT Applause is the noise made by a group of people clapping their hands to show approval. □  They greeted him with thunderous applause. □  …a round of applause.

ap|ple ◆◇◇ /æ p ^ə l/ (apples )

1 N‑VAR An apple is a round fruit with smooth green, yellow, or red skin and firm white flesh. □  I want an apple. □  …his ongoing search for the finest varieties of apple. □  …a large garden with apple trees in it.

2 → see also Adam's apple , Big Apple , crab apple

3 PHRASE If you say that someone is the apple of your eye , you mean that they are very important to you and you are extremely fond of them. □  Penny's only son was the apple of her eye.

apple|cart /æ p ^ə lkɑː ^r t/ PHRASE If you upset the applecart , you do something which causes a plan, system, or arrangement to go wrong. □  They may also be friends of the chairman, so they are reluctant to upset the applecart.

a p|ple pie (apple pies )

1 N‑COUNT An apple pie is a kind of pie made with apples.

2 PHRASE If a room or a desk is in apple pie order , it is neat and tidy, and everything is where it should be. □  They found everything in apple-pie order.

3 PHRASE If you say that something is as American as apple pie , you mean that it is typically American. □  Jeans are as American as apple pie.

a p|ple sau ce also applesauce N‑UNCOUNT Apple sauce is a type of sauce made from puréed cooked apples.

ap|plet /æ pl I t/ (applets ) N‑COUNT An applet is a computer program which is contained within a page on the internet, and which transfers itself to your computer and runs automatically while you are looking at that page. [COMPUTING ]

ap|pli|ance /əpla I əns/ (appliances )

1 N‑COUNT An appliance is a device or machine in your home that you use to do a job such as cleaning or cooking. Appliances are often electrical. [FORMAL ] □  …the vacuum cleaner, washing machine and other household appliances.

2 N‑SING The appliance of a skill or of knowledge is its use for a particular purpose. □ [+ of ] These advances were the result of the intellectual appliance of science.

ap|pli|cable /æ pl I kəb ^ə l, əpl I kə-/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Something that is applicable to a particular situation is relevant to it or can be applied to it. □  Appraisal was seen as most applicable to those in management jobs.

ap|pli|cant /æ pl I kənt/ (applicants ) N‑COUNT An applicant for something such as a job or a place at a college is someone who makes a formal written request to be given it.

ap|pli|ca|tion ◆◇◇ /æ pl I ke I ʃ ^ə n/ (applications )