(1) She seemed a trifle anxious.
(2) $1 000 is a mere trifle to her.
(3) He is not a person to be trifled with.

(1) Canete's mouth twisted in a contemptuous sneer.
(2) Oh, is it? … said the sheriff with a sneer.
(3) He said with a sneer.

(1) the prototype of the modern bicycle
(2) Chris Retzler has built a prototype of a machine called the wave rotor.
(3) ...the first prototype aircraft.

(1) John Marsh, formerly of London Road, Leicester, now living in France
(2) I learnt that the house had formerly been an inn.
(3) Namibia, formerly known as South West Africa

(1) mint-flavoured toothpaste
(2) I decorated the fruit salad with a sprig of mint.
(3) roast lamb with mint sauce

(1) Salt dissolves in water.
(2) Heat gently until the sugar dissolves.
(3) dissolve the tablet in water.

(1) a romantic candlelit dinner
(2) romantic stories/fiction/comedy
(3) I'm not interested in a romantic relationship.

(1) Firemen hosed the burning car.
(2) doublet and hose
(3) a garden hose

(1) a word of Greek derivation
(2) The derivation of its name is obscure...
(3) The word is of old French derivation.

(1) Tax cuts will boost consumer confidence after the recession.
(2) a consumer society (= one where buying and selling is considered to be very important)
(3) consumer demand/choice/rights

(1) mechanically propelled vehicles
(2) He succeeded in propelling the ball across the line.
(3) He was grabbed from behind and propelled through the door.

(1) He is a frequent visitor to this country.
(2) Her calls became less frequent.
(3) There is a frequent bus service into the centre of town.

(1) a vulgar man
(2) vulgar decorations
(3) She found their laughter and noisy games coarse and rather vulgar.

(1) an extinct species
(2) to become extinct
(3) Servants are now almost extinct in modern society.

(1) Your contract of employment terminates in December.
(2) The agreement was terminated immediately.
(3) to terminate a pregnancy (= to perform or have an abortion )

(1) The British Legion raises funds to help ex-service personnel and their dependants.
(2) A sick dog is as much a dependant as a sick child.
(3) The dependent dependant cannot live independently.

(1) The floor is sealed to prevent water penetration.
(2) the company's successful penetration of overseas markets
(3) X-rays can penetrate many objects...

(1) Please accept this gift in appreciation of all you've done for us.
(2) She shows little appreciation of good music.
(3) The crowd murmured in appreciation .

(1) There are still a few residual problems with the computer program.
(2) ...residual radiation from nuclear weapons testing...
(3) Turn the hotplate off and allow the residual heat to keep the mixture simmering.

(1) Please refrain from smoking.
(2) He has refrained from criticizing the government in public.
(3) Complaints about poor food in schools have become a familiar refrain.

(1) I made the classic mistake of clapping in a pause in the music!
(2) a classic grey suit
(3) classic design

(1) My mood seems to fluctuate from day to day.
(2) wild fluctuations in interest rates
(3) Temperatures can fluctuate by as much as 10 degrees.

(1) Meditation tends to lower or normalize blood pressure...
(2) There may be some deep-seated emotional reason which has to be dealt with before your eating habits normalize.
(3) The two governments were close to normalizing relations...

(1) This ensures a continuous output current and means that the output capacitor can be eliminated.
(2) The series capacitor compensation technique also can improve the system transient stability and voltage quality.
(3) The particle size has some relation with the storage energy of the capacitor, too.

(1) cigar smoke
(2) He was sitting alone smoking a big cigar.
(3) Brooks examines it rolling it between his fingertips like a man checking out a fine cigar.

(1) He liberally sweetened his coffee...
(2) The Australians fry their bananas and sweeten them with honey.
(3) Kalon Group has sweetened its takeover offer for Manders...

(1) From his position on the cliff top, he had a good view of the harbour.
(2) Where would be the best position for the lights?
(3) Is everybody in position ?

(1) She went to visit relatives in Wales.
(2) The Prime Minister is visiting Japan at the moment.
(3) You should visit your dentist at least twice a year.

(1) subsidiary information
(2) a subsidiary matter
(3) (British English)I'm taking History as a subsidiary subject (= one that is not studied in as great depth as a main subject) .

(1) It is difficult to define what makes him so popular.
(2) The mountain was sharply defined against the sky.
(3) The term ‘mental illness ’ is difficult to define.

(1) the economic problems confronting the country
(2) The government found itself confronted by massive opposition.
(3) She knew that she had to confront her fears.

(1) They listened to the howl of the wind through the trees.
(2) The suggestion was greeted with howls of laughter .
(3) to let out a howl of anguish

(1) The club's aim is to foster better relations within the community.
(2) They have fostered over 60 children during the past ten years.
(3) We couldn't adopt a child, so we decided to foster.

(1) an angry/unruly mob
(2) The mob was/were preparing to storm the building.
(3) an excited mob of fans

(1) Don't throw that away─it might come in handy.
(2) The extra money came in very handy.
(3) to be handy around the house

(1) to impose a penalty
(2) Assault carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment.
(3) The penalty for travelling without a ticket is £200.

(1) The injured woman staggered to her feet.
(2) He staggered home, drunk.
(3) We seem to stagger from one crisis to the next.

(1) This tax should be abolished.
(2) The whole system should be abolished.
(3) The following year Parliament voted to abolish the death penalty for murder...

(1) He looked at himself in the mirror .
(2) a rear-view mirror (= in a car, so that the driver can see what is behind)
(3) (British English)a wing mirror (= on the side of a car)

(1) When I got canned, I took these keys as souvenirs.
(2) How can you complain about higher taxes?...
(3) How can millions of dollars go astray?...