Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

ulu|late /juː ljʊle I t, [AM ] ʌ l-/ (ululates , ululating , ululated ) VERB If someone ululates , they make quickly repeated loud sounds, often to express sorrow or happiness. [LITERARY ] □ [V ] At Hamid's daughter's school, teachers ululated in celebration. □ [V -ing] He let out this long ululating moan.

umUm is used in writing to represent a sound that people make when they are hesitating, usually while deciding what they want to say next. □  She felt her face going red–'I'm sorry Rob, it's just that I'm, um, overwhelmed.'

um|ber /ʌ mbə ^r / COLOUR Umber is used to describe things that are yellowish or reddish brown in colour. □  …umber paint.

um|bili|cal cord /ʌmb I l I k ^ə l kɔː ^r d/ (umbilical cords ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] The umbilical cord is the tube that connects an unborn baby to its mother, through which it receives oxygen and food.

um|brage /ʌ mbr I dʒ/ PHRASE If you say that a person takes umbrage , you mean that they are upset or offended by something that someone says or does to them, often without much reason. [FORMAL ] □  He takes umbrage against anyone who criticises him.

um|brel|la /ʌmbre lə/ (umbrellas )

1 N‑COUNT An umbrella is an object which you use to protect yourself from the rain or hot sun. It consists of a long stick with a folding frame covered in cloth. □  Harry held an umbrella over Dawn.

2 N‑SING [N n] Umbrella is used to refer to a single group or description that includes a lot of different organizations or ideas. □ [+ of ] Does coincidence come under the umbrella of the paranormal? □  Within the umbrella term 'dementia' there are many different kinds of disease.

3 N‑SING Umbrella is used to refer to a system or agreement which protects a country or group of people. □ [+ of ] As regulated investments, they come under the umbrella of the country's financial compensation scheme.

um|laut /ʊ mlaʊt/ (umlauts ) N‑COUNT An umlaut is a symbol that is written over vowels in German and some other languages to indicate the way in which they should be pronounced. For example, the word 'für' has an umlaut over the 'u'.

um|pire /ʌ mpa I ə ^r / (umpires , umpiring , umpired )

1 N‑COUNT An umpire is a person whose job is to make sure that a sports match or contest is played fairly and that the rules are not broken. □  The umpire's decision is final.

2 VERB To umpire means to be the umpire in a sports match or contest. □ [V n] He umpired baseball games. □ [+ for , V ] He umpired for school football matches until he was in his late 50s.

ump|teen /ʌ mptiː n/ DET Umpteen can be used to refer to an extremely large number of things or people. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □  He was interrupted by applause umpteen times. □  He has produced umpteen books, plays and television series.

ump|teenth /ʌ mptiː nθ/ ORD You use umpteenth to indicate that an occasion, thing, or person happens or comes after many others. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □  He checked his watch for the umpteenth time. □  She was now on her umpteenth gin.

UN ◆◆◇ /juː e n/ N‑PROPER The UN is the same as the United Nations . □  …a U.N. peacekeeping mission.

PREFIX un-

can be added to some words to form words that have the opposite meaning. For example, if something is unacceptable , it is not acceptable.

un|abashed /ʌ nəbæ ʃt/ ADJ If you describe someone as unabashed , you mean that they are not ashamed, embarrassed, or shy about something, especially when you think most people would be. □ [+ by ] He seems unabashed by his recent defeat. □  He's an unabashed, old-fashioned romantic.