(1) The country was sliding into a state of virtual civil war.
(2) The company has a virtual monopoly in this area of trade.
(3) He married a virtual stranger.

(1) Atanas ordered a shrimp cocktail and a salad.
(2) Add the shrimp and cook for 30 seconds.
(3) shrimp are raised in long uniform ponds, frozen in the nearby packing plant and shipped north.

(1) The government has been cautious in its response to the report.
(2) They've taken a very cautious approach .
(3) They expressed cautious optimism about a solution to the crisis.

(1) According to the constitution…
(2) to propose a new amendment to the constitution (= of the US)
(3) the South African constitution

(1) The plan was brilliant in its conception but failed because of lack of money.
(2) Marx's conception of social justice
(3) He has no conception of how difficult life is if you're unemployed.

(1) Turn the key clockwise.
(2) a clockwise direction
(3) He told the children to start moving clockwise around the room.

(1) China has always fascinated me.
(2) It was a question that had fascinated him since he was a boy.
(3) The private lives of movie stars never fail to fascinate.

(1) Her behaviour has brought disgrace on her family.
(2) The swimmer was sent home from the Olympics in disgrace .
(3) There is no disgrace in being poor.

(1) He cited his heavy workload as the reason for his breakdown.
(2) She was cited in the divorce proceedings.
(3) He was cited for bravery.

(1) to open/close the shutters
(2) (British English,figurative)More than 70 000 shopkeepers have been forced to put up the shutters (= close down their businesses) in the past year.
(3) There are a few things you should check before pressing the shutter release.

(1) to make/take a vow
(2) to break/keep a vow
(3) to break your marriage vows

(1) The coastal road diverges from the freeway just north of Santa Monica.
(2) Many species have diverged from a single ancestor.
(3) We went through school and college together, but then our paths diverged.

(1) (formal)All lights had been extinguished.
(2) News of the bombing extinguished all hope of peace.
(3) Firefighters tried to extinguish the flames.

(1) He was too stubborn to admit that he was wrong.
(2) She can be as stubborn as a mule .
(3) stubborn pride

(1) a moderately successful career
(2) She only did moderately well in the exam.
(3) Cook in a moderately hot oven.

(1) countries seeking entry into the European Union
(2) the entry of women into the workforce
(3) There have been some impressive entries in the wildlife photography section (= impressive photographs) .

(1) He gave an exclamation of surprise.
(2) Sue gave an exclamation as we got a clear sight of the house.
(3) There was a passionate exclamation from Mrs. Shelby, but Aunt Chloe said nothing.

(1) fishing for tuna
(2) tuna steaks
(3) a tin/can of tuna in vegetable oil

(1) The grass had withered in the warm sun.
(2) All our hopes just withered away.
(3) When he went into retirement, he visibly withered...

(1) She jabbed him with her elbow.
(2) He's fractured his elbow.
(3) The jacket was worn at the elbows.

(1) a wooden/steel hull
(2) They climbed onto the upturned hull and waited to be rescued.
(3) The hull had suffered extensive damage to the starboard side.

(1) It is generally accpeted that the microprocessor will eventually permeate into every kind of equipment.
(2) The main electric circuit uses integration microprocessor and IC, few buffer circuit for stable operation.
(3) It is microprocessor controlled, and consists of master control, feeding, size detection and parallel discharging systems.

(1) At her funeral her oldest friend paid tribute to her life and work.
(2) This book is a fitting tribute to the bravery of the pioneers.
(3) floral tributes (= gifts of flowers at a funeral)

(1) Her hands were covered with oil and grease.
(2) the grease in his hair
(3) plates covered with grease

(1) The rise in train fares has aroused public indignation.
(2) Joe quivered with indignation that Paul should speak to him like that.
(3) Some benefits apply only to men, much to the indignation of working women.

(1) She was wearing bright red lipstick.
(2) She was wearing red lipstick.
(3) ...glossy lipsticks made from natural oils and waxes.

(1) The report highlights the similarity between the two groups.
(2) She bears a striking similarity to her mother.
(3) There is some similarity in the way they sing.

(1) an oil millionaire
(2) She's a millionaire several times over.
(3) a millionaire businessman

(1) At the shrine of the god there were offerings, libations and incense.
(2) The musty aroma of incense made her head swim.
(3) Mr Sharma lit incense and chanted Sanskrit mantras.

(1) ample opportunity/evidence/space/proof
(2) There was ample time to get to the airport.
(3) ample free parking is available.

(1) You distract me. I've been distracted since the moment I met you. Because all I can think about is how much I want to kiss you.
(2) When he arrived back, Tigress was cracking melon seeds to distract herself.
(3) The intention was to distract egg - laying females from furniture or structural wood.

(1) the degradation of being sent to prison
(2) environmental degradation
(3) ...the degradation of salicylic acid in plants.

(1) the splitting of the atom
(2) Two atoms of hydrogen combine with one atom of oxygen to form a molecule of water.
(3) A methane molecule is composed of one carbon atom attached to four hydrogens.

(1) the growing polarity between the left and right wings of the party
(2) ...the ideological polarity between nations.
(3) ...the polarities of good and evil...

(1) Friday 31 July 1925 henceforth became known as ‘Red Friday ’.
(2) We were finally released with a formal warning that we were henceforth barred from the base.
(3) henceforth, parties which fail to get 5% of the vote will not be represented in parliament...

(1) The noise began to lessen.
(2) to lessen the risk/impact/effect of sth
(3) [单数, 不可数名词]a lessening of tension

(1) the manager who is largely responsible for the team's victory
(2) It was largely a matter of trial and error.
(3) He resigned largely because of the stories in the press.

(1) Alec laughed harshly.
(2) harsh detergents
(3) She was treated very harshly.

(1) the negative representation of single mothers in the media
(2) The snake swallowing its tail is a representation of infinity.
(3) The green movement lacks effective representation in Parliament.

(1) The energy is released by combustion on the application of a match...
(2) The two principal combustion products are water vapor and carbon dioxide.
(3) A combustion experiment of coal water slurry as a fuel in expanded pearlite kiln was made.