Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If someone or something is all right , they are well or safe. □  All she's worried about is whether he is all right. □  Are you feeling all right now?

4 CONVENTION You say ' all right ' when you are agreeing to something. [FORMULAE ] □  'I think you should go now.'—'All right.'.

5 CONVENTION You say ' all right? ' after you have given an instruction or explanation to someone when you are checking that they have understood what you have just said, or checking that they agree with or accept what you have just said. □  Peter, you get half the fees. All right?

6 CONVENTION If someone in a position of authority says ' all right ', and suggests talking about or doing something else, they are indicating that they want you to end one activity and start another. □  All right, Bob. You can go now.

7 CONVENTION You say ' all right ' during a discussion to show that you understand something that someone has just said, and to introduce a statement that relates to it. □  'I'm a bit busy now.'—'All right, why don't I come back later?'

8 CONVENTION You say all right before a statement or question to indicate that you are challenging or threatening someone. □  All right, who are you and what are you doing in my office?

a ll-rou nd ◆◇◇ in AM, also use all-around 1 ADJ [ADJ n] An all-round person is good at a lot of different skills, academic subjects, or sports. □  He is a great all-round player.

2 ADJ [ADJ n] All-round means doing or relating to all aspects of a job or activity. □  He demonstrated the all-round skills of a quarterback.

a ll-rou nder (all-rounders ) N‑COUNT Someone who is an all-rounder is good at a lot of different skills, academic subjects, or sports. [BRIT ] □  I class myself as an all-rounder.

a ll-sea ter ADJ [usu ADJ n] An all-seater stadium has enough seats for all the audience, rather than having some areas without seats where people stand. [BRIT ]

a ll-si nging a ll-da ncing PHRASE If you describe something new as all-singing, all-dancing , you mean that it is very modern and advanced, with a lot of additional features; used especially to show that you think a lot of these features are silly or unnecessary. [HUMOROUS ] □  …the executive's new all-singing, all-dancing website.

all|spice /ɔː lspa I s/ N‑UNCOUNT Allspice is a powder used as a spice in cooking, which is made from the berries of a tropical American tree.

a ll-star ADJ [ADJ n] An all-star cast, performance, or game is one which contains only famous or extremely good performers or players.

a ll-time ADJ [ADJ n] You use all-time when you are comparing all the things of a particular type that there have ever been. For example, if you say that something is the all-time best, you mean that it is the best thing of its type that there has ever been. □  The president's popularity nationally is at an all-time low. □  She is my all-time favourite artist.

al|lude /əluː d/ (alludes , alluding , alluded ) VERB If you allude to something, you mention it in an indirect way. [FORMAL ] □ [V + to ] She also alluded to her rival's past marital troubles.

al|lure /əljʊə ^r , [AM ] əlʊ r/ N‑UNCOUNT The allure of something or someone is the pleasing or exciting quality that they have. □  It's a game that has really lost its allure.

al|lur|ing /əljʊə r I ŋ, [AM ] əlʊ r I ŋ/ ADJ Someone or something that is alluring is very attractive. □  …the most alluring city in South-East Asia.

al|lu|sion /əluː ʒ ^ə n/ (allusions ) N‑VAR An allusion is an indirect reference to someone or something. □ [+ to ] The title is perhaps an allusion to the author's childhood.

al|lu|sive /əluː s I v/ ADJ Allusive speech, writing, or art is full of indirect references to people or things. □  …Shakespeare's richly metaphoric and allusive language.