guard|rail /gɑː r dre I l/ (guardrails ) also guard rail N‑COUNT A guardrail is a railing that is placed along the edge of something such as a staircase, path, or boat, so that people can hold onto it or so that they do not fall over the edge.
guards|man /gɑː r dzmən/ (guardsmen ) also Guardsman
1 N‑COUNT In Britain, a guardsman is a soldier who is a member of one of the regiments of Guards.
2 N‑COUNT In the United States, a guardsman is a soldier who is a member of the National Guard.
gua rd's van (guard's vans ) N‑COUNT The guard's van of a train is a small carriage or part of a carriage in which the guard travels. [BRIT ]
gua|va /gwɑː və/ (guavas ) N‑VAR A guava is a round yellow tropical fruit with pink or white flesh and hard seeds.
gu|ber|na|to|rial /guː bə r nətɔː riəl/ ADJ [ADJ n] Gubernatorial means relating to or connected with the post of governor. □ …a well-known Dallas lawyer and former Texas gubernatorial candidate.
guer|ril|la ◆◇◇ /gər I lə/ (guerrillas ) also guerilla N‑COUNT [oft N n] A guerrilla is someone who fights as part of an unofficial army, usually against an official army or police force. □ The guerrillas threatened to kill their hostages. □ …a guerrilla war.
guess ◆◆◇ /ge s/ (guesses , guessing , guessed )
1 VERB If you guess something, you give an answer or provide an opinion which may not be true because you do not have definite knowledge about the matter concerned. □ [V that] The suit was faultless: Wood guessed that he was a very successful publisher or a banker. □ [V + at ] You can only guess at what mental suffering they endure. □ [V n] Paula reached for her camera, guessed distance and exposure, and shot two frames. □ [V wh] Guess what I did for the whole of the first week. □ [V adv] If she guessed wrong, it meant twice as many meetings the following week. [Also V with quote]
2 VERB If you guess that something is the case, you correctly form the opinion that it is the case, although you do not have definite knowledge about it. □ [V that] By now you will have guessed that I'm back in Ireland. □ [V wh] He should have guessed what would happen. □ [V n] Someone might have guessed our secret and passed it on.
3 N‑COUNT [oft N that, N as to n/wh] A guess is an attempt to give an answer or provide an opinion which may not be true because you do not have definite knowledge about the matter concerned. □ My guess is that the chance that these vaccines will work is zero. □ [+ at ] He'd taken her pulse and made a guess at her blood pressure. □ [+ at ] Well, we can hazard a guess at the answer.
4 PHRASE If you say that something is anyone's guess or anybody's guess , you mean that no-one can be certain about what is really true. [INFORMAL ] □ Just when this will happen is anyone's guess.
5 PHRASE You say at a guess to indicate that what you are saying is only an estimate or what you believe to be true, rather than being a definite fact. [VAGUENESS ] □ At a guess he's been dead for two days.
6 PHRASE You say I guess to show that you are slightly uncertain or reluctant about what you are saying. [mainly AM , INFORMAL , VAGUENESS ] □ I guess she thought that was pretty smart. □ I guess he's right. □ 'I think you're being paranoid.'—'Yeah. I guess so.'
7 PHRASE If someone keeps you guessing , they do not tell you what you want to know. □ The author's intention is to keep everyone guessing until the bitter end.
8 CONVENTION You say guess what to draw attention to something exciting, surprising, or interesting that you are about to say. [INFORMAL ] □ Guess what, I just got my first part in a movie.
guess|ti|mate /ge st I mət/ (guesstimates ) N‑COUNT A guesstimate is an approximate calculation which is based mainly or entirely on guessing. [INFORMAL ]
guess|work /ge swɜː r k/ N‑UNCOUNT Guesswork is the process of trying to guess or estimate something without knowing all the facts or information. □ The question of who planted the bomb remains a matter of guesswork.
guest ◆◆◇ /ge st/ (guests )
1 N‑COUNT A guest is someone who is visiting you or is at an event because you have invited them. □ She was a guest at the wedding. □ Their guests sipped drinks on the veranda.
2 N‑COUNT A guest is someone who visits a place or organization or appears on a radio or television show because they have been invited to do so. □ …a frequent chat show guest. □ Dr Gerald Jeffers is the guest speaker. □ They met when she made a guest appearance in his TV show.
3 N‑COUNT A guest is someone who is staying in a hotel. □ I was the only hotel guest. □ Hotels operate a collection service for their guests from the airports.
4 CONVENTION If you say be my guest to someone, you are giving them permission to do something. □ If anybody wants to work on this, be my guest. COLLOCATIONS guest NOUN
1
noun + guest : dinner, house, party, wedding
adjective + guest : honoured, overnight, royal; unexpected, uninvited
verb + guest : entertain, greet, invite, offer
2
noun + guest : celebrity, star, surprise
adjective + guest : regular, special
verb + guest : welcome
gue st book (guest books ) N‑COUNT A guest book is a book in which guests write their names and addresses when they have been staying in someone's house or in a hotel.