1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Someone who is insane has a mind that does not work in a normal way, with the result that their behaviour is very strange. □ Some people simply can't take it and they just go insane.
2 ADJ If you describe a decision or action as insane , you think it is very foolish or excessive. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ I said, 'Listen, this is completely insane.' ● in|sane|ly ADV [usu ADV adj, oft ADV with v] □ I would be insanely jealous if Bill left me for another woman.
in|sani|tary / I nsæ n I tri, [AM ] -teri/ ADJ If something such as a place is insanitary , it is so dirty that it is likely to have a bad effect on people's health. [FORMAL ] □ …the insanitary conditions of slums. □ British prisons remain disgracefully crowded and insanitary.
in|san|ity / I nsæ n I ti/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Insanity is the state of being insane. □ The defence pleaded insanity, but the defendant was found guilty and sentenced.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you describe a decision or an action as insanity , you think it is very foolish. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …the final financial insanity of the 1980s.
in|sa|tiable / I nse I ʃəb ə l/ ADJ If someone has an insatiable desire for something, they want as much of it as they can possibly get. □ The public has an insatiable appetite for stories about the famous.
in|scribe / I nskra I b/ (inscribes , inscribing , inscribed )
1 VERB If you inscribe words on an object, you write or carve the words on the object. □ [V n + on ] Some galleries commemorate donors by inscribing their names on the walls. □ [V -ed + with ] …stone slabs inscribed with Buddhist texts.
2 VERB If you inscribe something in the front of a book or on a photograph, you write it there, often before giving it to someone. □ [V n] On the back I had inscribed the words: 'Here's to Great Ideas! John'. □ [V -ed quote] The book is inscribed: To John Arlott from Laurie Lee.
in|scrip|tion / I nskr I pʃ ə n/ (inscriptions )
1 N‑COUNT An inscription is writing carved into something made of stone or metal, for example a gravestone or medal. □ The medal bears the inscription 'For distinguished service'.
2 N‑COUNT An inscription is something written by hand in the front of a book or on a photograph. □ The inscription reads: 'To Emma, with love from Harry'.
in|scru|table / I nskruː təb ə l/ ADJ If a person or their expression is inscrutable , it is very hard to know what they are really thinking or what they mean. □ In public he remained inscrutable.
in|sect / I nsekt/ (insects ) N‑COUNT An insect is a small animal that has six legs. Most insects have wings. Ants, flies, butterflies, and beetles are all insects.
in|sec|ti|cide / I nse kt I sa I d/ (insecticides ) N‑VAR Insecticide is a chemical substance that is used to kill insects. □ Spray the plants with insecticide.
in|secure / I ns I kjʊə r /
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are insecure , you lack confidence because you think that you are not good enough or are not loved. □ [+ about ] Most mothers are insecure about their performance as mothers. ● in|secu|rity / I ns I kjʊə r I ti/ (insecurities ) N‑VAR □ She is always assailed by self-doubt and emotional insecurity.
2 ADJ Something that is insecure is not safe or protected. □ …low-paid, insecure jobs. ● in|secu|rity N‑UNCOUNT □ Crime creates feelings of insecurity in the population.
in|semi|nate / I nse m I ne I t/ (inseminates , inseminating , inseminated )
1 VERB To inseminate a woman or female animal means to put a male's sperm into her in order to make her pregnant. □ [V n] The gadget is used to artificially inseminate cows. ● in|semi|na|tion / I nse m I ne I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ The sperm sample is checked under the microscope before insemination is carried out.
2 → see also artificial insemination
in|sen|si|tive / I nse ns I t I v/
1 ADJ If you describe someone as insensitive , you are criticizing them for being unaware of or unsympathetic to other people's feelings. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [+ about ] I felt he was being insensitive about the enormity of what we had done. ● in|sen|si|tiv|ity / I nse ns I t I v I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ towards ] I was ashamed at my insensitivity towards her.
2 ADJ Someone who is insensitive to a situation or to a need does not think or care about it. □ [+ to ] …women's and Latino organizations that say he is insensitive to civil rights. ● in|sen|si|tiv|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ to ] …insensitivity to the environmental consequences.
3 ADJ Someone who is insensitive to a physical sensation is unable to feel it. □ [+ to ] He had become insensitive to cold.
in|sepa|rable / I nse prəb ə l/
1 ADJ If one thing is inseparable from another, the things are so closely connected that they cannot be considered separately. □ [+ from ] He firmly believes liberty is inseparable from social justice. ● in|sepa|rably ADV [usu ADV -ed, oft ADV after v] □ In his mind, religion and politics were inseparably intertwined.
2 ADJ If you say that two people are inseparable , you are emphasizing that they are very good friends and spend a great deal of time together. [EMPHASIS ] □ She and Kristin were inseparable.
in|sert (inserts , inserting , inserted ) The verb is pronounced / I nsɜː r t/. The noun is pronounced / I nsɜː r t/. 1 VERB If you insert an object into something, you put the object inside it. □ [V n + into ] He took a small key from his pocket and slowly inserted it into the lock. □ [V n] Wait for a couple of minutes with your mouth closed before inserting the thermometer. ● in|ser|tion / I nsɜː r ʃ ə n/ (insertions ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …the first experiment involving the insertion of a new gene into a human being.