2 VERB If something equips you for a particular task or experience, it gives you the skills and attitudes you need for it, especially by educating you in a particular way. □ [V n + with ] Relative poverty, however, did not prevent Martin from equipping himself with an excellent education. □ [V n to-inf] A basic two-hour first aid course would equip you to deal with any of these incidents. [Also V n + for ] ● equipped ADJ □ Some students have emotional problems that teachers feel ill equipped to handle. □ [+ for ] When they leave school, they will be equipped for obtaining office jobs.
equip|ment ◆◆◇ / I kw I pmənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Equipment consists of the things which are used for a particular purpose, for example a hobby or job. □ …computers, electronic equipment and machine tools. □ …outdoor playing equipment. USAGE equipment
Equipment
is an uncountable noun. Don’t talk about ‘
equi|table /e kw I təb ə l/ ADJ Something that is equitable is fair and reasonable in a way that gives equal treatment to everyone. □ We have an unsurpassed opportunity to transform the United States into a more prosperous, sustainable and equitable country. ● equi|tably ADV [ADV after v, ADV -ed] □ …a real attempt to allocate scarce resources more equitably.
equi|ties /e kw I tiz/
1 N‑PLURAL Equities are shares in a company that are owned by people who have a right to vote at the company's meetings and to receive part of the company's profits after the holders of preference shares have been paid. [BUSINESS ] □ Investors have poured money into U.S. equities.
2 → see also preference shares
equi|ty ◆◇◇ /e kw I ti/
1 N‑UNCOUNT In finance, your equity is the sum of your assets, for example the value of your house, once your debts have been subtracted from it. [BUSINESS ] □ To capture his equity, Murphy must either sell or refinance. □ …a Personal Equity Plan.
2 → see also negative equity
3 N‑UNCOUNT Equity is the quality of being fair and reasonable in a way that gives equal treatment to everyone. □ We base this call on grounds of social justice and equity.
equiva|lence / I kw I vələns/ N‑UNCOUNT If there is equivalence between two things, they have the same use, function, size, or value. □ [+ of ] …the equivalence of science and rationality.
equiva|lent ◆◇◇ / I kw I vələnt/ (equivalents )
1 N‑SING If one amount or value is the equivalent of another, they are the same. □ [+ of ] The equivalent of two tablespoons of polyunsaturated oils is ample each day. □ [+ of ] Even the cheapest car costs the equivalent of 70 years' salary for a government worker. ● ADJ Equivalent is also an adjective. □ [+ to ] A unit is equivalent to a glass of wine or a single measure of spirits. □ Calls for equivalent wage increases are bound to be heard.
2 N‑COUNT [usu with poss] The equivalent of someone or something is a person or thing that has the same function in a different place, time, or system. □ …the civil administrator of the West Bank and his equivalent in Gaza. □ …the Red Cross emblem, and its equivalent in Muslim countries, the Red Crescent. ● ADJ Equivalent is also an adjective. □ …a decrease of 10% in property investment compared with the equivalent period last year.
3 N‑SING You can use equivalent to emphasize the great or severe effect of something. [EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] His party has just suffered the equivalent of a near-fatal heart attack.
equivo|cal / I kw I vək ə l/
1 ADJ If you are equivocal , you are deliberately vague in what you say, because you want to avoid speaking the truth or making a decision. [FORMAL ] □ [+ about ] Many were equivocal about the idea. □ His equivocal response has done nothing to dampen the speculation.
2 ADJ If something is equivocal , it is difficult to understand, interpret, or explain, often because it has aspects that seem to contradict each other. [FORMAL ] □ Research in this area is somewhat equivocal. □ He was tortured by an awareness of the equivocal nature of his position.
equivo|cate / I kw I vəke I t/ (equivocates , equivocating , equivocated ) VERB When someone equivocates , they deliberately use vague language in order to deceive people or to avoid speaking the truth. □ [V + about/over ] He is equivocating a lot about what is going to happen if and when there are elections. □ [V ] He had asked her once again about her finances. And again she had equivocated. ● equivo|ca|tion / I kw I vəke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT [usu without N ] □ Why doesn't the President say so without equivocation?
er /ɜː r / Er is used in writing to represent the sound that people make when they hesitate, especially while they decide what to say next. □ I would challenge the, er, suggestion that we're in third place.
ER /iː ɑː r / (ERs ) N‑COUNT The ER is the part of a hospital where people who have severe injuries or sudden illnesses are taken for emergency treatment. ER is an abbreviation for 'emergency room'. [AM ] in BRIT, use casualty , A & E
SUFFIX -er
1 forms nouns that refer to a person who performs a particular action, often because it is their job. For example, a teacher is someone who teaches.