Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

1 VERB If you untie something that is tied to another thing or if you untie two things that are tied together, you remove the string or rope that holds them or that has been tied round them. □ [V n] Nicholas untied the boat from her mooring. □ [V n] Just untie my hands.

2 VERB If you untie something such as string or rope, you undo it so that there is no knot or so that it is no longer tying something. □ [V n] She hurriedly untied the ropes binding her ankles. □ [V n] Then she untied her silk scarf.

3 VERB When you untie your shoelaces or your shoes, you loosen or undo the laces of your shoes. □ [V n] She untied the laces on one of her sneakers. □ [V -ed] Your boot lace is untied.

un|til ◆◆◆ /ʌnt I l/

1 PREP If something happens until a particular time, it happens during the period before that time and stops at that time. □  Until 2016, he was a high-ranking officer in the army. □  …consumers who have waited until after the Christmas holiday to do that holiday shopping. ● CONJ Until is also a conjunction. □  I waited until it got dark. □  Stir with a metal spoon until the sugar has dissolved.

2 PREP You use until with a negative to emphasize the moment in time after which the rest of your statement becomes true, or the condition which would make it true. □  The traffic laws don't take effect until the end of the year. □  It was not until 1911 that the first of the vitamins was identified. ● CONJ [CONJ after neg] Until is also a conjunction. □  The E.U. will not lift its sanctions until that country makes political changes.

3up until → see up ➋ USAGE until

1 You only use until or till when you are talking about time. Don’t use these words to talk about position. Don’t say, for example, ‘ She walked until the post office ’. You say ‘She walked as far as the post office’. □  They drove as far as the Cantabrian mountains.

2 Don’t use ‘until’ or ‘till’ to say that something will have happened before a particular time. Don’t say, for example, ‘ The work will be finished until four o’clock ’. You say ‘The work will be finished by four o’clock’. □  Total sales reached 1 million by 2017.

un|time|ly /ʌnta I mli/

1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe an event as untimely , you mean that it happened earlier than it should, or sooner than you expected. □  His mother's untimely death had a catastrophic effect on him.

2 ADJ You can describe something as untimely if it happens at an unsuitable time. □  …an untimely visit from the milkman. □  I am sure your readers would have seen the article as at best untimely.

un|tir|ing /ʌnta I ə r I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe a person or their efforts as untiring , you approve of them because they continue what they are doing without slowing down or stopping. [APPROVAL ] □  …an untiring fighter for justice, democracy and tolerance.

un|tit|led /ʌ nta I t ^ə ld/

1 ADJ If something such as a book, film, or song is untitled , it does not have a title. □  The full-length feature, as yet untitled, will include footage of their live gigs.

2 ADJ Someone who is untitled does not have a title such as 'Sir' or 'Lord'.

unto /ʌ ntu/

1 PREP Unto was used to indicate that something was done or given to someone. [LITERARY or OLD-FASHIONED ] □  And he said unto him, 'Who is my neighbor?' □  I will do unto others what they did to me.

2 PREP Unto was used to indicate that something continued until a particular time. [LITERARY or OLD-FASHIONED ] □  Be ye faithful unto the end.

un|told /ʌ ntoʊ ld/