2 VERB If you reproduce a picture, speech, or a piece of writing, you make a photograph or printed copy of it. □ [V n] We are grateful to you for permission to reproduce this article.
3 VERB If you reproduce an action or an achievement, you repeat it. □ [V n] If we can reproduce the form we have shown in the last couple of months we will be successful.
4 VERB When people, animals, or plants reproduce , they produce young. □ [V ] …a society where women are defined by their ability to reproduce. □ [V pron-refl] We are not reproducing ourselves fast enough to pay for the welfare of our older citizens. ● re|pro|duc|tion /riː prədʌ kʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Genes are those tiny bits of biological information swapped in sexual reproduction.
re|pro|duc|tion /riː prədʌ kʃ ə n/ (reproductions )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A reproduction is a copy of something such as a piece of furniture or a work of art. □ [+ of ] …a reproduction of a popular religious painting.
2 → see also reproduce
3 N‑UNCOUNT Sound reproduction is the recording of sound onto tapes, CDs, or films so that it can be heard by a large number of people. □ …the increasingly high technology of music reproduction.
re|pro|duc|tive /riː prədʌ kt I v/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Reproductive processes and organs are concerned with the reproduction of living things. □ …the female reproductive system.
re|proof /r I pruː f/ (reproofs ) N‑VAR If you say or do something in reproof , you say or do it to show that you disapprove of what someone has done or said. [FORMAL ] □ She raised her eyebrows in reproof. □ …a reproof that she responded to right away.
re|prove /r I pruː v/ (reproves , reproving , reproved ) VERB If you reprove someone, you speak angrily or seriously to them because they have behaved in a wrong or foolish way. [FORMAL ] □ [V with quote] 'There's no call for talk like that,' Mrs Evans reproved him. □ [be V -ed] Women were reproved if they did not wear hats in court.
re|prov|ing /r I pruː v I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you give someone a reproving look or speak in a reproving voice, you show or say that you think they have behaved in a wrong or foolish way. [FORMAL ] □ 'Flatterer,' she said giving him a mock reproving look. ● reprov|ing|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ 'I'm trying to sleep,' he lied, speaking reprovingly.
rep|tile /re pta I l, [AM ] -t I l/ (reptiles ) N‑COUNT Reptiles are a group of cold-blooded animals which have skins covered with small hard plates called scales and lay eggs. Snakes, lizards, and crocodiles are reptiles.
rep|til|ian /rept I liən/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A reptilian creature is a reptile. □ …a prehistoric jungle occupied by reptilian creatures.
2 ADJ You can also use the word reptilian to describe something that is characteristic of a reptile or that is like a reptile. □ The chick is ugly and almost reptilian in its appearance.
re|pub|lic ◆◆◇ /r I pʌ bl I k/ (republics )
1 N‑COUNT [oft in names] A republic is a country where power is held by the people or the representatives that they elect. Republics have presidents who are elected, rather than kings or queens. □ …the Baltic republics. □ [+ of ] …the Republic of Ireland.
2 → see also banana republic
re|pub|li|can ◆◆◇ /r I pʌ bl I kən/ (republicans )
1 ADJ Republican means relating to a republic. In republican systems of government, power is held by the people or the representatives that they elect. □ …the nations that had adopted the republican form of government.
2 ADJ In the United States, if someone is Republican , they belong to or support the Republican Party. □ …Republican voters. □ Some families have been Republican for generations. ● N‑COUNT A Republican is someone who supports or belongs to the Republican Party. □ What made you decide to become a Republican?
3 ADJ In Northern Ireland, if someone is Republican , they believe that Northern Ireland should not be ruled by Britain but should become part of the Republic of Ireland. □ …a Republican paramilitary group. ● N‑COUNT A Republican is someone who has Republican views. □ …a Northern Ireland Republican.
re|pub|li|can|ism /r I pʌ bl I kən I zəm/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Republicanism is the belief that the best system of government is a republic.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Republicanism is support for or membership of the Republican Party in the United States.
Re|pu b|li|can Par|ty N‑PROPER The Republican Party is one of the two main political parties in the United States. It is more right-wing or conservative than the Democratic Party.
re|pu|di|ate /r I pjuː die I t/ (repudiates , repudiating , repudiated ) VERB If you repudiate something or someone, you show that you strongly disagree with them and do not want to be connected with them in any way. [FORMAL or WRITTEN ] □ [V n] Leaders urged people to turn out in large numbers to repudiate the violence. ● re|pu|dia|tion /r I pjuː die I ʃ ə n/ (repudiations ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …his public repudiation of the conference decision.
re|pug|nant /r I pʌ gnənt/ ADJ If you think that something is horrible and disgusting, you can say that it is repugnant . [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] The odour is repugnant to insects. ● re|pug|nance N‑UNCOUNT □ She felt a deep sense of shame and repugnance.
re|pulse /r I pʌ ls/ (repulses , repulsing , repulsed )