monitor: You need feedback to monitor progress.
follow: She was following Laura's progress closely.
keep track of: They had become so numerous I hadn't been able to keep track of them.
meas|ured /me ʒə r d/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] You use measured to describe something that is careful and deliberate. □ The men spoke in soft, measured tones. □ Her more measured response will appeal to voters.
meas|ure|ment /me ʒə r mənt/ (measurements )
1 N‑COUNT A measurement is a result, usually expressed in numbers, that you obtain by measuring something. □ We took lots of measurements.
2 N‑VAR Measurement of something is the process of measuring it in order to obtain a result expressed in numbers. □ [+ of ] Measurement of blood pressure can be undertaken by practice nurses.
3 N‑VAR The measurement of the quality, value, or effect of something is the activity of deciding how great it is. □ [+ of ] …the measurement of output in the non-market sector.
4 N‑PLURAL [with poss] Your measurements are the size of your waist, chest, hips, and other parts of your body, which you need to know when you are buying clothes.
meas|ur|ing /me ʒər I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ n] A measuring jug, cup, or spoon is specially designed for measuring quantities, especially in cooking.
meat ◆◇◇ /miː t/ (meats )
1 N‑VAR Meat is flesh taken from a dead animal that people cook and eat. □ Meat and fish are relatively expensive. □ …imported meat products. □ …a buffet of cold meats and salads.
2 → see also luncheon meat , red meat , white meat
meat|ball /miː tbɔːl/ (meatballs ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Meatballs are small balls of chopped meat. They are usually eaten with a sauce.
mea t gri nd|er (meat grinders ) N‑COUNT A meat grinder is a machine which cuts meat into very small pieces by forcing it through very small holes. [AM ] in BRIT, use mincer
mea t loaf (meat loaves ) also meatloaf N‑VAR Meat loaf is chopped meat made into the shape of a loaf of bread.
meaty /miː ti/ (meatier , meatiest )
1 ADJ Food that is meaty contains a lot of meat. □ …a pleasant lasagne with a meaty sauce.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe something such as a piece of writing or a part in a film as meaty if it contains a lot of interesting or important material. □ The short, meaty reports are those he likes best.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can describe a part of someone's body as meaty if it is big and strong. □ He looked up and down the corridor, meaty hands resting on his thighs.
mec|ca /me kə/ (meccas )
1 N‑PROPER Mecca is a city in Saudi Arabia, which is the holiest city in Islam because the Prophet Mohammed was born there. All Muslims face towards Mecca when they pray.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you describe a place as a mecca or Mecca for a particular thing or activity, you mean that many people who are interested in it go there. □ Thailand has become the tourist mecca of Asia.
me|chan|ic /m I kæ n I k/ (mechanics )
1 N‑COUNT A mechanic is someone whose job is to repair and maintain machines and engines, especially car engines. □ If you smell gas fumes or burning, take the car to your mechanic.
2 N‑PLURAL The mechanics of a process, system, or activity are the way in which it works or the way in which it is done. □ [+ of ] What are the mechanics of this new process?
3 N‑UNCOUNT Mechanics is the part of physics that deals with the natural forces that act on moving or stationary objects. □ He has not studied mechanics or engineering.
me|chani|cal /m I kæ n I k ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A mechanical device has parts that move when it is working, often using power from an engine or from electricity. □ …a small mechanical device that taps out the numbers. □ …the oldest working mechanical clock in the world. ● me|chani|cal|ly /m I kæ n I kli/ ADV [ADV with v] □ The air was circulated mechanically.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Mechanical means relating to machines and engines and the way they work. □ …mechanical engineering. □ The train had stopped due to a mechanical problem. ● me|chani|cal|ly ADV [ADV adj/-ed] □ The car was mechanically sound, he decided.
3 ADJ If you describe a person as mechanical , you mean they are naturally good at understanding how machines work. □ He was a very mechanical person, who knew a lot about sound. ● me|chani|cal|ly ADV [ADV -ed] □ I'm not mechanically minded.
4 ADJ If you describe someone's action as mechanical , you mean that they do it automatically, without thinking about it. □ It is real prayer, and not mechanical repetition. ● me|chani|cal|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ He nodded mechanically, his eyes fixed on the girl.
mecha|nise /me kəna I z/ → see mechanize
mecha|nism ◆◇◇ /me kən I zəm/ (mechanisms )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] In a machine or piece of equipment, a mechanism is a part, often consisting of a set of smaller parts, which performs a particular function. □ …the locking mechanism. □ A bomb has been detonated by a special mechanism.
2 N‑COUNT A mechanism is a special way of getting something done within a particular system. □ [+ for ] There's no mechanism for punishing arms exporters who break the rules.