Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

yowl /jaʊ l/ (yowls , yowling , yowled ) VERB If a person or an animal yowls , they make a long loud cry, especially because they are sad or in pain. □ [V ] The dog began to yowl. ● N‑COUNT Yowl is also a noun. □  Patsy could hardly be heard above the baby's yowls. ●  yowl|ing N‑UNCOUNT □  I couldn't stand that yowling.

yo-yo /joʊ joʊ/ (yo-yos ) N‑COUNT A yo-yo is a toy made of a round piece of wood or plastic attached to a piece of string. You play with the yo-yo by letting it rise and fall on the string.

yr (yrs ) also yr. yr is a written abbreviation for year . □  Their imaginations are quite something for 2 yr olds.

yuan /juːæ n, [AM ] -ɑː n/ (yuan ) N‑COUNT [num N ] The yuan is the unit of money that is used in the People's Republic of China. □  For most events, tickets cost one, two or three yuan. ● N‑SING The yuan is also used to refer to the Chinese currency system. □  The yuan recovered a little; it now hovers around 8.2 to the dollar.

Yu|go|slav /juː gəslɑːv/ (Yugoslavs ) ADJ Yugoslav means belonging or relating to the former Yugoslavia, or to its people or culture. ● N‑COUNT A Yugoslav was a Yugoslav citizen, or a person of Yugoslav origin.

Yu|go|sla|vian /juː gəslɑː viən/ ADJ Yugoslavian means the same as Yugoslav .

yuk /jʌ k/ EXCLAM Some people say ' yuk ' when they think something is very unpleasant or disgusting. [INFORMAL ] □  'It's lamb stew and cabbage,' said Malone. 'Yuk,' said Maureen.

Yule /juː l/ N‑UNCOUNT Yule is an old-fashioned word for Christmas .

Yule|tide /juː lta I d/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Yuletide is the period of several days around and including Christmas Day. □  …ideas for Yuletide food, drink and decorations.

yum /jʌ m/ EXCLAM People sometimes say ' yum ' or ' yum yum ' to show that they think something tastes or smells very good. [INFORMAL ]

yum|my /jʌ mi/ ADJ Yummy food tastes very good. [INFORMAL ] □  I'll bet they have yummy ice cream. □  It smells yummy.

yup|pie /jʌ pi/ (yuppies ) N‑COUNT A yuppie is a young person who has a well-paid job and likes to show that they have a lot of money by buying expensive things and living in an expensive way. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  The Porsche 911 reminds me of the worst parts of the yuppie era.

YWCA /wa I dʌb ^ə ljuː siː e I / (YWCAs ) N‑COUNT The YWCA is a place where women can stay cheaply, which is run by the YWCA organization. YWCA is an abbreviation for 'Young Women's Christian Association'.

Zz

Z , z /ze d, [AM ] ziː / (Z's, z's ) N‑VAR Z is the twenty-sixth and last letter of the English alphabet.

zany /ze I ni/ (zanier , zaniest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] Zany humour or a zany person is strange or eccentric in an amusing way. [INFORMAL ] □  …the zany humour of the Marx Brothers.

zap /zæ p/ (zaps , zapping , zapped )

1 VERB To zap someone or something means to kill, destroy, or hit them, for example with a gun or in a computer game. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] A guard zapped him with the stun gun.

2 VERB If you zap channels while watching television, you change channels using the remote control. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] Men like to zap the TV channels, something that can drive certain women berserk.

3 VERB To zap something such as a computer file or document means to delete it from the computer memory or to clear it from the screen. [COMPUTING , INFORMAL ]

zap|per /zæ pə ^r / (zappers ) N‑COUNT A zapper is a small device that you use to control a television, video, or stereo from a distance. [INFORMAL ]

zeal /ziː l/ N‑UNCOUNT Zeal is great enthusiasm, especially in connection with work, religion, or politics. □ [+ for ] …his zeal for teaching. □  Mr Lopez approached his task with a religious zeal.

zeal|ot /ze lət/ (zealots ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a zealot , you think that their views and actions are very extreme, especially in following a particular political or religious belief. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  He was forceful, but by no means a zealot.