New Words 221

forget /fɚ'ɡɛt/, forgot /fɚ'ɡɑt/, forgotten /fɚ'ɡɑtn/

nuisance, noun, /'nusns/

1 a person, thing, or situation that annoys you or causes problems.

a real/awful/terrible etc nuisance

The dogs next door are a real nuisance.

What a nuisance!(British English)

What a nuisance! I’ve forgotten my ticket.

I hate to be a nuisance .../Sorry to be a nuisance ...

I hate to be a nuisance, but could you move your car to the other side of the street?

Stop making a nuisance of yourself (=annoying other people with your behaviour)!

It’s a nuisance having to get up that early on a Sunday morning.

2 (law) the use of a place or property in a way that causes public annoyance.

The nightclub has been declared a public nuisance.

menace, noun, /'mɛnəs/

1 something or someone that is dangerous SYN  threat.

menace of

It’s the only way to deal with the menace of drug dealing.

menace to

That man’s a menace to society. He should be locked away.

the growing menace of oil pollution at sea.

2 a threatening quality, feeling, or way of behaving.

There was menace in his voice.

air/sense of menace

There was a sense of menace as the sky grew darker.

3 a person, especially a child, who is annoying or causes trouble SYNnuisance.

My little brother’s a real menace.

4 with menaces(British English) (law) if someone asks another person for something with menaces, they use threats of violence to get what they want.

He was charged with demanding money with menaces.

menace, verb, /'mɛnəs/

to threaten.

The elephants are still menaced by poachers.

grate, noun, /ɡret/

the metal bars and frame that hold the wood, coal etc in a fireplace.

grate, verb, /ɡret/

1 to rub cheese, vegetables etc against a rough or sharp surface in order to break them into small pieces. ► cut

grated cheese.

Peel and grate the potatoes.

2 to talk in a low rough voice →hiss.

‘Let me go,’ he grated harshly.

3 to annoy someone.

grate on

Mr Fen had a loud voice that grated on her ears.

4 to make an unpleasant sound by rubbing, or to make something do this.

The stones beneath her shoes grated harshly.