hi gh-ra nking ADJ [ADJ n] A high-ranking person has an important position in a particular organization. □ …a high-ranking officer in the medical corps.
hi gh-rise (high-rises ) ADJ [ADJ n] High-rise buildings are modern buildings which are very tall and have many levels or floors. □ …high-rise office buildings. ● N‑COUNT A high-rise is a high-rise building. □ That big high-rise above us is where Brian lives.
hi gh road
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A high road is a main road. [BRIT ] in AM, use highway 2 N‑SING If you say that someone is taking the high road in a situation, you mean that they are taking the most positive and careful course of action. [mainly AM ] □ U.S. diplomats say the president is likely to take the high road in his statements about trade.
hi gh-ro ller (high-rollers ) also high roller N‑COUNT High rollers are people who are very rich and who spend money in an extravagant or risky way, especially by gambling. [JOURNALISM ]
hi gh school (high schools )
1 N‑VAR ; N‑COUNT In Britain, a high school is a school for children aged between eleven and eighteen. □ …Sunderland High School.
2 N‑VAR ; N‑COUNT In the United States, a high school is a school for children usually aged between fourteen and eighteen. □ …an 18-year-old inner-city kid who dropped out of high school.
hi gh sea s N‑PLURAL The high seas is used to refer to the sea. [LITERARY ] □ …battles on the high seas.
hi gh sea|son N‑SING The high season is the time of year when a place has most tourists or visitors. [BRIT ] □ A typical high-season week in a chalet costs about £470.
hi gh so|ci |ety N‑UNCOUNT You can use high society to refer to people who come from rich and important families.
hi gh-sou nding ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can use high-sounding to describe language and ideas which seem very grand and important, especially when you think they are not really important. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …high-sounding decrees designed to impress foreigners and attract foreign capital.
hi gh-spee ^d
1 ADJ [ADJ n] High-speed is used to describe something that travels, moves, or works very quickly. □ Air travel should serve places that cannot easily be reached by high-speed rail. □ …the demand for high-speed broadband.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] A high-speed crash involves vehicles or people that are moving very fast. □ Thousands of skiers are injured in high-speed collisions.
hi gh-spi rited ADJ Someone who is high-spirited is very lively and easily excited.
hi gh spot (high spots ) N‑COUNT The high spot of an event or activity is the most exciting or enjoyable part of it. □ [+ of ] This show was the high spot of my week.
hi gh street (high streets )
1 N‑COUNT The high street of a town is the main street where most of the shops and banks are. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, use Main Street 2 ADJ [ADJ n] High street banks and businesses are companies which have branches in the main shopping areas of most towns. [mainly BRIT ] □ The scanners are available from high street stores.
hi gh su m|mer N‑UNCOUNT High summer is the middle of summer.
hi gh tea (high teas ) N‑VAR In Britain, some people have a meal called high tea in the late afternoon instead of having dinner or supper later in the evening. [OLD-FASHIONED ]
hi gh-te ch also high tech , hi tech ADJ [usu ADJ n] High-tech activities or equipment involve or result from the use of high technology. □ …the latest high-tech medical gadgetry.
hi gh tech|no l|ogy N‑UNCOUNT High technology is the practical use of advanced scientific research and knowledge, especially in relation to electronics and computers, and the development of new advanced machines and equipment.
hi gh-te nsion ADJ [ADJ n] A high-tension electricity cable is one which is able to carry a very powerful current.
hi gh ti de N‑UNCOUNT At the coast, high tide is the time when the sea is at its highest level because the tide is in.
hi gh trea |son N‑UNCOUNT High treason is a very serious crime which involves putting your country or its head of state in danger.
hi gh-u p (high-ups )
1 N‑COUNT A high-up is an important person who has a lot of authority and influence. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] in AM, use higher-up 2 high up → see high
hi gh wa |ter
1 N‑UNCOUNT High water is the time at which the water in a river or sea is at its highest level as a result of the tide. □ Fishing is possible for a couple of hours either side of high water.
2 come hell or high water → see hell
hi gh-wa ter mark also high water mark
1 N‑SING The high-water mark is the level reached in a particular place by the sea at high tide or by a river in flood.
2 N‑SING The high-water mark of a process is its highest or most successful stage of achievement. □ [+ of/for ] This was almost certainly the high-water mark of her career.
high|way /ha I we I / (highways ) N‑COUNT A highway is a main road, especially one that connects towns or cities. [mainly AM ] □ I crossed the highway, dodging the traffic.
Hi gh|way Co de N‑SING In Britain, the Highway Code is an official book published by the Department of Transport, which contains the rules which tell people how to use public roads safely.
highway|man /ha I we I mən/ (highwaymen ) N‑COUNT In former times, highwaymen were people who stopped travellers and robbed them.
hi gh wi re (high wires ) also high-wire