(1) ambient temperature/light/conditions
(2) a compilation of ambient electronic music
(3) soft, ambient lighting

(1) She grinned amiably at us.
(2) They grinned with delight when they heard our news.
(3) He was grinning from ear to ear .

(1) She accepted the criticism with quiet dignity.
(2) the dignity of work
(3) The terminally ill should be allowed to die with dignity.

(1) (figurative)Robert was always the class clown (= he did silly things to make the other students laugh) .
(2) What do those clowns in the government think they are doing?
(3) Bruno clowned and won affection everywhere.

(1) Pete and Anne chipped in with suggestions.
(2) (figurative)They chipped away at the power of the government (= gradually made it weaker) .
(3) He was chipping away at the stone.

(1) The path started to ascend more steeply.
(2) Mist ascended from the valley.
(3) The air became colder as we ascended.

(1) a scar on his cheek
(2) Will the operation leave a scar?
(3) scar tissue

(1) His behaviour baffles me.
(2) I'm baffled as to why she hasn't called.
(3) I'm baffled why she hasn't called.

(1) They were meditating revenge.
(2) He meditated on the problem...
(3) On the day her son began school, she meditated on the uncertainties of his future.

(1) Adam walked away from the crash with just cuts and grazes .
(2) The bullet grazed his cheek.
(3) I fell and grazed my knee.

(1) I am not referring to ‘small ’ people in the literal sense of the word.
(2) The literal meaning of ‘petrify ’ is ‘turn to stone ’.
(3) a literal translation

(1) The entire manufacturing process has been automated.
(2) The factory is now fully automated .
(3) He wanted to use computers to automate the process.

(1) We reached the summit at noon.
(2) This path leads to the summit.
(3) (figurative)the summit of his career

(1) high fluid intake
(2) to reduce your daily intake of salt
(3) the annual student intake

(1) They haven't formally announced their engagement yet.
(2) The government yesterday announced to the media plans to create a million new jobs.
(3) (figurative)A ring at the doorbell announced Jack's arrival.

(1) Considerable modification of the existing system is needed.
(2) It might be necessary to make a few slight modifications to the design.
(3) The club members did agree to modify their recruitment policy...

(1) Bevan was a magician with words.
(2) ...a magician of the keyboard.
(3) The magician is waving a magic wand.

(1) The principle of ion assisted deposition technology in the vacuum deposition process is discussed.
(2) Weak acids ionize partly ( ionize ) in water to give hydrogen ion.
(3) From rejected ion exchange membrane the perfluorinated acid resin is abstracted as solid super acidic catalyst.

(1) Take the coast road─it'll be less of a haul (= an easier journey) .
(2) Our camp is only a short haul from here.
(3) They began the long slow haul to the summit.

(1) I stripped and washed myself all over.
(2) We stripped off and ran down to the water.
(3) She stripped down to her underwear.

(1) Dreams can be a rich source of inspiration for an artist.
(2) Both poets drew their inspiration from the countryside.
(3) Looking for inspiration for a new dessert? Try this recipe.

(1) a basement flat/apartment
(2) Kitchen goods are sold in the basement.
(3) They live in a basement flat in North London.

(1) (figurative)As a child, she was starved of intellectual nourishment.
(2) Can plants obtain adequate nourishment from such poor soil?
(3) The mother provides the embryo with nourishment and a place to grow...

(1) the interior of a building/a car
(2) an expedition into the interior of Australia
(3) the Department/Minister of the interior

(1) widespread agitation for social reform
(2) Dot arrived in a state of great agitation.
(3) Danny returned to Father's house in a state of intense agitation...

(1) a shop selling clothes at competitive prices (= as low as any other shop)
(2) We need to work harder to remain competitive with other companies.
(3) to gain a competitive advantage over rival companies

(1) the Lord Mayor's parade
(2) St Patrick's Day parade in New York
(3) (figurative)The latest software will be on parade at the exhibition.

(1) an antique mahogany desk
(2) Priceless antiques were destroyed in the fire.
(3) an antique shop (= one that sells antiques )

(1) the fight against rising inflation
(2) to control/curb inflation
(3) to reduce/bring down inflation

(1) I can't seem to throw off this feeling of inertia.
(2) the forces of institutional inertia in the school system
(3) ...her inertia, her lack of energy...

(1) It was hard to see him clearly in the twilight .
(2) We went for a walk along the beach at twilight .
(3) the twilight years (= the last years of your life)

(1) O cuckoo! shall I call thee Bird.
(2) The cuckoo is a harbinger of spring.
(3) There's a cuckoo, and one or two thrushes.

(1) The land inclined gently towards the shore.
(2) a steep/slight incline
(3) The government is more effective than we incline to think.

(1) the outbreak of war
(2) an outbreak of typhoid
(3) outbreaks of rain are expected in the afternoon.

(1) Shades of Hitler!'I thought, as I listened to the dictator haranguing the crowd.
(2) They attempted the life of the dictator.
(3) He is a dictator. Though I'm the production manager, I as what to do next.

(1) Settling the dispute required great tact and diplomacy.
(2) She is not exactly known for her tact.
(3) On this occasion the press have not been intrusive and they have shown great tact.

(1) (figurative)The minister was praised for his acute political antennae (= ability to understand complicated political situations) .
(2) radio antennas
(3) The error simulation technology of a kind of grid antenna is studied in this paper.

(1) accident/crime prevention
(2) the prevention of disease
(3) a fire prevention officer

(1) The country was ruled by a succession of tyrants.
(2) (figurative)His boss is a complete tyrant.
(3) Since 1804 the country has mostly been ruled by tyrants.

(1) I last saw him beetling off down the road.
(2) The bird seized an unusually big beetle and bore it off to its nest.
(3) Room's sanitary conditions are too bad, saw black beetle in two days.