3 VERB If someone says that they have eliminated an enemy, they mean that they have killed them. By using the word 'eliminate', they are trying to make the action sound more positive than if they used the word 'kill'. □ [V n] He declared war on the government and urged right-wingers to eliminate their opponents. SYNONYMS eliminate VERB 1
get rid of: There's corruption, and we're going to get rid of it.
remove: Most of her fears had been removed.
abolish: The whole system should be abolished.
eradicate: They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria.
banish: …diseases like malaria that have been banished for centuries.
do away with: The long-range goal must be to do away with nuclear weapons altogether.
elimi|na|tor / I l I m I ne I tə r / (eliminators ) N‑COUNT [usu n N ] In sport, an eliminator is a game which decides which team or player is to go through to the next stage of a particular competition. [BRIT ] □ …a world title eliminator. in AM, use elimination game
elite / I liː t, e I -/ (elites )
1 N‑COUNT You can refer to the most powerful, rich, or talented people within a particular group, place, or society as the elite . □ …a government comprised mainly of the elite. □ We have a political elite in this country.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Elite people or organizations are considered to be the best of their kind. □ …the elite troops of the President's bodyguard.
elit|ism / I liː t I zəm, e I -/ N‑UNCOUNT Elitism is the quality or practice of being elitist. □ It became difficult to promote excellence without being accused of elitism.
elit|ist / I liː t I st, e I -/ (elitists )
1 ADJ Elitist systems, practices, or ideas favour the most powerful, rich, or talented people within a group, place, or society. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The legal profession is starting to be less elitist and more representative.
2 N‑COUNT An elitist is someone who has elitist ideas or is part of an elite. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He was an elitist who had no time for the masses.
elix|ir / I l I ksə r / (elixirs ) N‑COUNT An elixir is a liquid that is considered to have magical powers. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] …the elixir of life.
Eliza|bethan / I l I zəbiː θ ə n/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Elizabethan means belonging to or connected with England in the second half of the sixteenth century, when Elizabeth the First was Queen. □ …Elizabethan England. □ …the Elizabethan theatre.
elk /e lk/ (elks or elk ) N‑VAR An elk is a type of large deer. Elks have big, flat horns called antlers and are found in Northern Europe, Asia, and North America. Some British speakers use elk to refer to the European and Asian varieties of this animal, and moose to refer to the North American variety.
el|lipse / I l I ps/ (ellipses ) N‑COUNT An ellipse is an oval shape similar to a circle but longer and flatter. □ The Earth orbits in an ellipse.
el|lip|sis / I l I ps I s/ N‑UNCOUNT In linguistics, ellipsis means leaving out words rather than repeating them unnecessarily; for example, saying 'I want to go but I can't' instead of 'I want to go but I can't go'. [TECHNICAL ]
el|lip|ti|cal / I l I pt I k ə l/
1 ADJ Something that is elliptical has the shape of an ellipse. [FORMAL ] □ …the moon's elliptical orbit.
2 ADJ Elliptical references to something are indirect rather than clear. [FORMAL ] □ …elliptical references to problems best not aired in public. ● el|lip|ti|cal|ly / I l I pt I kli/ ADV [ADV after v] □ He spoke only briefly and elliptically about the mission.
elm /e lm/ (elms ) N‑VAR An elm is a tree that has broad leaves which it loses in winter. ● N‑UNCOUNT Elm is the wood of this tree.
elo|cu|tion /e ləkjuː ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Elocution lessons are lessons in which someone is taught to speak clearly and in an accent that is considered to be standard and acceptable.
elon|gate /iː lɒŋge I t, [AM ] I lɔː ŋ-/ (elongates , elongating , elongated ) VERB If you elongate something or if it elongates , you stretch it so that it becomes longer. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] 'Mom,' she intoned, elongating the word. □ [V ] Corn is treated when the stalk starts to elongate.
elon|gat|ed /iː lɒŋge I t I d, [AM ] I lɔː ŋ-/ ADJ If something is elongated , it is very long and thin, often in an unnatural way. □ The light from my candle threw his elongated shadow on the walls.
elope / I loʊ p/ (elopes , eloping , eloped ) VERB When two people elope , they go away secretly together to get married. □ [V ] My girlfriend Lynn and I eloped. □ [V + with ] In 1912 he eloped with Frieda von Richthofen.
elo|quent /e ləkwənt/
1 ADJ Speech or writing that is eloquent is well expressed and effective in persuading people. □ I heard him make a very eloquent speech at that dinner. ● elo|quence N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the eloquence of his prose. ● elo|quent|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ Jan speaks eloquently about her art.
2 ADJ A person who is eloquent is good at speaking and able to persuade people. [APPROVAL ] □ He was eloquent about his love of books. □ …one particularly eloquent German critic. ● elo|quence N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] I wish I'd had the eloquence of Helmut Schmidt.