(1) a neck brace (= worn to support the neck after an injury)
(2) a pair of braces
(3) UN troops are braced for more violence.

(1) Despite a number of setbacks, they persevered in their attempts to fly around the world in a balloon.
(2) She persevered with her violin lessons.
(3) You have to persevere with difficult students.

(1) He was knighted by the Queen for his services to industry.
(2) He was knighted in the Queen's birthday honours list in June 1988.
(3) Love songs trick us into believing in knights in shining armor.

(1) The action is an open violation of the Vienna Convention.
(2) The judge called the decision "a flagrant violation of international law"
(3) Refugee workers said such action was a violation of medical ethics.

(1) The train was moving now at a snail's pace...
(2) The economy grew at a snail's pace in the first three months of this year.
(3) The snail left a trail of slime along the floor.

(1) Sam shrugged and said nothing.
(2) ‘I don't know, ’ Anna replied, shrugging her shoulders.
(3) [常用单数形式]Andy gave a shrug. ‘It doesn't matter. ’

(1) traditional seaside amusements including boats, go-karts and a funfair
(2) Her eyes twinkled with amusement .
(3) She could not hide her amusement at the way he was dancing.

(1) They came within a whisker of being killed.
(2) ...wild, savage-looking fellows, with large whiskers, unshaven beards, and dirty faces.
(3) A new pet census showed that cats now outnumber dogs by a whisker (7 million to 6.9 million)...

(1) The male bird is easily distinguishable from the female.
(2) The coast was barely distinguishable in the mist.
(3) She has already distinguished herself as an athlete.

(1) We are asking people to boycott goods from companies that use child labour.
(2) a trade boycott of British goods
(3) a boycott on the use of tropical wood

(1) a floor of cement
(2) a cement floor
(3) dental cement (= for filling holes in teeth)

(1) There must be one set of laws for the whole of the country...
(2) I might need a spare set of clothes...
(3) Graf was leading 5-1 in the first set.

(1) People were trampled underfoot in the rush for the exit.
(2) He was trampled to death by a runaway horse.
(3) The campers had trampled the corn down.

(1) It was late August and the harvest had been safely gathered in.
(2) I gather (that) you wanted to see me.
(3) I gather from your letter that you're not enjoying your job.

(1) Nothing breeds success like success.
(2) Fear of failure was bred into him at an early age.
(3) Labradors and other large breeds of dog

(1) latent disease
(2) These children have a huge reserve of latent talent.
(3) Advertisements attempt to project a latent meaning behind an overt message.

(1) It gave me a big thrill to meet my favourite author in person.
(2) the thrill of catching a really big fish
(3) She gets an obvious thrill out of performing.

(1) a yacht club/race
(2) a motor yacht
(3) a luxury yacht

(1) a representative of the UN
(2) our elected representatives in government
(3) a union representative

(1) It is compulsory for all motorcyclists to wear helmets.
(2) English is a compulsory subject at this level.
(3) compulsory education/schooling

(1) They became suspicious of his behaviour and contacted the police.
(2) a suspicious look
(3) You have a very suspicious mind (= you always think that people are behaving in an illegal or dishonest way) .

(1) I'd like to put a business proposition to you.
(2) He was trying to make it look like an attractive proposition .
(3) Getting a work permit in the UK is not always a simple proposition.

(1) He was an O'Conor and a direct descendant of the last High King of Ireland.
(2) Many of them are descendants of the original settlers.
(3) They are descendants of the original English and Scottish settlers.

(1) How long does it take to qualify?
(2) He qualified as a doctor last year.
(3) This training course will qualify you for a better job.

(1) His voice wavered with emotion.
(2) Her determination never wavered.
(3) She never wavered in her determination to succeed.

(1) In the sentences ‘I'm angry ’ and ‘He became a politician ’, ‘angry ’ and ‘politician ’ are complements.
(2) We've taken our full complement of trainees this year.
(3) The team needs players who complement each other .

(1) idleness is a very bad thing for human nature.
(2) Braccio was a hater of idleness.
(3) The closure of the large factory made many workers live in idleness.

(1) He's sincere in his views...
(2) He accepted her apologies as sincere...
(3) I don't believe in Tom's sincerity ; but this is inter nos.

(1) cows taken for slaughter
(2) the wholesale slaughter of innocent people
(3) Men, women and children were slaughtered and villages destroyed.

(1) She was devoured by envy and hatred.
(2) Flames devoured the house.
(3) She devoured everything she could lay her hands on: books, magazines and newspapers.

(1) a clock/bell tower
(2) the tower of London
(3) the Eiffel tower

(1) I kept some of his books and gave away the remainder.
(2) Divide 2 into 7, and the answer is 3, remainder 1.
(3) He gulped down the remainder of his coffee...

(1) a fascist/totalitarian/military, etc. regime
(2) an oppressive/brutal regime
(3) Our tax regime is one of the most favourable in Europe.

(1) initially, the system worked well.
(2) The death toll was initially reported at around 250, but was later revised to 300.
(3) Forecasters say the gales may not be as bad as they initially predicted...

(1) the random killing of innocent people
(2) a random sample/selection (= in which each thing has an equal chance of being chosen)
(3) The information is processed in a random order.

(1) the author's clear elegant prose (= style of writing)
(2) Shute's prose is stark and chillingly unsentimental...
(3) What he has to say is expressed in prose of exceptional lucidity and grace.

(1) The main drawback to it is the cost.
(2) This is the one major drawback of the new system.
(3) He felt the apartment's only drawback was that it was too small.

(1) If a plant has spotted or crinkled leaves, do not use it for propagation.
(2) Rose propagation has a long and rich history.
(3) Such rootstocks or cultivars were reproduced true to type by vegetative propagation.

(1) a magazine on health and fitness
(2) a fitness instructor/class/test
(3) a high level of physical fitness

(1) He was very respectful at home and obedient to his parents...
(2) What a sweet, obedient little girl she was in the sixth grade.
(3) Society has a right to expect obedience of the law.