in|cau|tious / I nkɔː ʃəs/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you say that someone is incautious , you are criticizing them because they do or say something without thinking or planning. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] ● in|cau|tious|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Incautiously, Crook had asked where she was.
in|cen|di|ary / I nse ndiəri, [AM ] -eri/ (incendiaries )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Incendiary weapons or attacks are ones that cause large fires. □ Five incendiary devices were found in her house.
2 N‑COUNT An incendiary is an incendiary bomb. □ A shower of incendiaries struck the Opera House.
in|cense (incenses , incensing , incensed ) The noun is pronounced / I nsens/. The verb is pronounced / I nse ns/. 1 N‑UNCOUNT Incense is a substance that is burned for its sweet smell, often as part of a religious ceremony.
2 VERB If you say that something incenses you, you mean that it makes you extremely angry. □ [V n] This proposal will incense conservation campaigners. ● in|censed ADJ [usu v-link ADJ , ADJ that] □ [+ at/by ] Mum was incensed at his lack of compassion.
in|cen|tive / I nse nt I v/ (incentives ) N‑VAR [oft N to-inf] If something is an incentive to do something, it encourages you to do it. □ There is little or no incentive to adopt such measures.
in|cep|tion / I nse pʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT [with poss] The inception of an institution or activity is the start of it. [FORMAL ] □ Since its inception the company has produced 53 different aircraft designs.
in|ces|sant / I nse s ə nt/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] An incessant process or activity is one that continues without stopping. □ …incessant rain. ● in|ces|sant|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ Dee talked incessantly.
in|cest / I nsest/ N‑UNCOUNT Incest is the crime of two members of the same family having sexual intercourse, for example a father and daughter, or a brother and sister.
in|ces|tu|ous / I nse stʃuəs/
1 ADJ An incestuous relationship is one involving sexual intercourse between two members of the same family, for example a father and daughter, or a brother and sister. □ They accused her of an incestuous relationship with her father.
2 ADJ If you describe a group of people as incestuous , you disapprove of the fact that they are not interested in ideas or people from outside the group. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Its inhabitants are a close and incestuous lot.
inch ◆◇◇ / I ntʃ/ (inches , inching , inched )
1 N‑COUNT [num N ] An inch is an imperial unit of length, approximately equal to 2.54 centimetres. There are twelve inches in a foot. □ …18 inches below the surface.
2 VERB To inch somewhere or to inch something somewhere means to move there very slowly and carefully, or to make something do this. □ [V prep/adv] …a climber inching up a vertical wall of rock. □ [V n prep/adv] He inched the van forward. □ [V n prep/adv] An ambulance inched its way through the crowd.
3 PHRASE If you say that someone looks every inch a certain type of person, you are emphasizing that they look exactly like that kind of person. [EMPHASIS ] □ He looks every inch the City businessman.
4 PHRASE If someone or something moves inch by inch , they move very slowly and carefully. [EMPHASIS ] □ The car moved forward inch by inch.
in|cho|ate / I nkoʊ ət/ ADJ If something is inchoate , it is recent or new, and vague or not yet properly developed. [FORMAL ] □ His dreams were senseless and inchoate.
in|ci|dence / I ns I dəns/ (incidences ) N‑VAR The incidence of something bad, such as a disease, is the frequency with which it occurs, or the occasions when it occurs. □ [+ of ] The incidence of breast cancer increases with age.
in|ci|dent ◆◆◇ / I ns I dənt/ (incidents ) N‑COUNT [oft without N ] An incident is something that happens, often something that is unpleasant. [FORMAL ] □ These incidents were the latest in a series of disputes between the two nations.
in|ci|den|tal / I ns I de nt ə l/ ADJ If one thing is incidental to another, it is less important than the other thing or is not a major part of it. □ [+ to ] The playing of music proved to be incidental to the main business of the evening.
in|ci|den|tal|ly / I ns I de ntli/
1 ADV You use incidentally to introduce a point which is not directly relevant to what you are saying, often a question or extra information that you have just thought of. □ 'I didn't ask you to come. Incidentally, why have you come?'
2 ADV [ADV with v] If something occurs only incidentally , it is less important than another thing or is not a major part of it. □ The letter mentioned my great-aunt and uncle only incidentally.
i n|ci|den|tal mu |sic N‑UNCOUNT In a film, play, or television programme, incidental music is music that is played to create a particular atmosphere.
i n|ci|dent room (incident rooms ) N‑COUNT [usu sing] An incident room is a room used by the police while they are dealing with a major crime or accident. [BRIT ] □ Police have set up an incident room as they begin to investigate this morning's fire.
in|cin|er|ate / I ns I nəre I t/ (incinerates , incinerating , incinerated ) VERB When authorities incinerate rubbish or waste material, they burn it completely in a special container. □ [V n] The government is trying to stop hospitals incinerating their own waste. ● in|cin|era|tion / I ns I nəre I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …banning the incineration of lead batteries.