Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English

a continuous harmful increase or decrease in sth, that gradually gets faster and faster: a downward spiral in share prices о measures to control an inflationary spiral о Executive pay has continued its upward spiral.

to continue/fall into/lead to/start a spiral ♦ to halt/ stop a spiral

verb [no obj] (-II-, AmE usually -I-) (usually used with an adverb or a preposition)

to increase rapidly: Prices are spiralling out of

control, о spiralling costs/debts

ШЗЗ .spiral 'down/'downwards to decrease

rapidly: Their shares have continued to spiral

downwards.

split /split/ verb, noun

• verb (splitting, split, split)

[+ obj] split sth (between sb/sth) | split sth (with

sb) to divide money, property, etc. into two or more parts and share it between different people: The five executives will split $44 million between them, о She split the proceeds of the sale with her children.

[+ obj or no obj] split (sth) (into sth) to divide into two or more parts; to make sth do this: The group will be split into four divisions, о Companies were advised to split the role of chief executive and chairman. split up, split sth up

[+ obj or no obj] split (sth) (from sth) to leave a company or group and become an independent company; to make part of a company do this: plans for the firm's European operations to split from the US business

(Finance) [+ obj] if a company splits shares, it divides its capital into more shares so that each share has a lower value: The company said it would split shares two-for-one.

a way of dividing sth: a 50-50 split between shares and bonds (= half shares and half bonds)

(Finance) = stock split

.split 'run noun [c][Marketing) a newspaper, magazine or web page which is produced in different versions, with different advertisements in each, usually in order to see how successful the advertising is: split-run testing

.split 'share noun [c][Finance) one of a number of new shares with a lower value that a group of shares has been divided into-» share split, split stock

.split 'shift noun [c][HR) two periods of work with a long break in between that sb works in a day: Employees are occasionally required to work split shifts.

.split 'stock noun [u][Finance) the new shares that a group of shares has been divided into in order to lower the price split share, stock split

spokesman /'spauksman; AmE 'spou-/, spokeswoman /'spaukswuman; AmE'spoo-/ noun [c] [plural spokesmen /-man/ spokeswomen /-wimin/)

a person who speaks on behalf of a group or an organization: a spokeswoman for the union

spokesperson /'spauksp3:sn; AmE 'spouksp3:rsn/ noun [c] [plural spokespersons orspokespeople /-pi:pl/)

a person who speaks on behalf of a group or an organization: A spokesperson for the company confirmed that it would be opening 20 new stores.

sponsor /'sponsa(r); AmE 'spa:n-/ noun, verb

• verb [+ obj]

to strictly limit or reduce the amount of money that sb/sth has or can use: High interest rates have squeezed the industry hard, о We have had our profits squeezed this year.

to get as much as you can from sb/sth, usually with difficulty: The bank is trying to squeeze more money out of us.

ШИЗ .squeeze sb 'dry to get as much money, information, etc. out of sb as you can ШЛЭ .squeeze sb/sth 'in to give time to sb/sth, although you are busy: Can you squeeze in a short meeting about three? .squeeze sb/sth 'out (of sth) to prevent sb/sth from continuing to do sth or be in business: Supermarkets are squeezing out small shops.