put off doing sth The committee decided to put off making any decision until the new year.
delay /di lei/ [и Tj to arrange to do something later than you planned, because you are waiting for something else to happen first or you are waiting for a more suitable time: He decided to delay his departure until after he'd seen the Director. delay doing sth The police delayed making any announcement until the girl's relatives had been contacted.
giggle [n C] I could hear giggles coming from my sister's bedroom.
chuckle п/лЫ/ [у I] to laugh quietly, especially because you are thinking about something funny: "Do you remember when Michelle fell in the river?" Morgan chuckled. I Simon sat reading a magazine, chuckling to himself.
laughter iu:fter||'l<ef-/ [n U] the sound you make when you laugh: We could hear laughter coming from the next room, roar with laughter (=laugh very loudly) The show was a great success, and the audience roared with laughter.
LAUGH
HAPPY
\ т
ENJOY
4 \
SERIOUS
D to laugh because something is funny
laugh/la:f1|laef/[u I] to laugh because something is funny or because you are enjoying yourself: Jake made a funny face, and we all laughed. 1 I thought Dad would be angry, but he just laughed. + about I couldn't understand what they were all laughing about. + at No-one laughed at his jokes. burst out laughing (=suddenly laugh loudly) We just looked at each other and burst out laughing.
can't stop laughing (=laugh a lot because something is extremely funny) Euery time I thought about her hat, I couldn't stop laughing!
laugh [n C] She gave a little nervous
laugh and glanced towards Robyn.
SMILE
see also
FUNNY
JOKE
giggle /'gig,?!/ [u f] to laugh quietly in the way that children laugh, because something is funny, or because you are nervous or embarrassed: We never learned anything in history - we just sat at the back of the class giggling. 1 Mr Brogan asked her to dance, and she blushed and giggled
to laugh in a cruel or nasty way
laugh at sb 'ia:f set (sb)||'laef-/ [phrasa/ verb T] to laugh at someone or make unkind jokes about them, because you think they are stupid or silly: The other children laughed at Lisa because her clothes were old-fashioned. I Don't laugh at me ~ I told you I wasn't very good at Spanish.
SfiiggerBRrnsH snickerAMERicAN /'snigar, 'sniky, [v I] to laugh quietly at something
that is not supposed to be funny, for example when someone is hurt or embarrassed: Ruth tripped and fell as she walked up the steps. The boys behind her sniggered. I As he walked across the stage, Billy could hear people snickering and whispering.
make /uri of sb/sth / meik fan ov (sb/
sth)/ to make someone or something seem
stupid by laughing at them, or by saying things that make other people laugh at them: Stop making fun of me! I The other girls used to make fun of the way she spoke.
to make someone laugh
make sb laugh/meik (sb) iarf|-iaef>' to
make someone laugh by doing or saying something funny: Rachel used to make us all laugh by imitating the teacher. I Thanks for your letter. It really made me laugh.
LAW
ST1UCT/NOT STRICT RULE Ф COURT/TRIAL
let
FORBID
an official rule that everyone must obey
law b:/ (п C] an official rule that all the citizens of a country must obey break the law (=disobey a law) I didn t realize / was breaking the law. + on tough new laws on immigration + against There is a law against cruelty to animals.
A
pass a law (=make a law) Congress passed a law that allowed women to become pilots in the Air Force.
If you talk about the law, this often means all the laws of a country and what they say you must and must not do: It is the job of the police to moke sure that people obey the law.
legal /'li:g«?l/ [adj only before noun] connected with laws and courts: People on low salaries can get free legal advice. legal battle/dispute (=when two people or organizations disagree about something, and this is judged in a court of law) Neither side wanted a long and expensive legal battle.
act sekt/ [n C] a law made by parliament or Congress - used in the official name of a
law: the 1991 Prevention of Terrorism Act I an Act of Congress
legislation Jed^sieipn/ [n UJ a set
of laws, especially ones that are made to control a new problem: Legislation is needed to stop the spread of computer pornography.
+ on new legislation on the sale of alcohol
legal system /h:g<?l sis^m [n C] the
see also
LIMIT PUNISH
police
CRIME
iaws and the way that they work in a particular country: The Scottish legal system is different from that in England.
when the law says you must do something or have the right to do it
legal li:g,?l Iadj only before noun] your legal rights, duties etc are the ones that the law says you must have: the legal duties of parents
legal right Consumers have the legal right to demand their money back if a product is faulty.
the legal owner (=the owner according to the law) She now becomes the legal owner of the land. legally [aduj according to the law: Legally, the house belongs to me. i If there is an accident, the owner of the vehicle will be legally responsible.
by law bai b: if something must be done by law. the law says that you must do it: By law, your employer has to make sure that your working environment is safe.
Qit's the law /its йэ b:j spoken use this
to tell someone that the law says that they must do something: You have to wear a seatbelt ~ it's the law.
allowed by law
legal /'li:g<?l/ [adj] allowed by law: This trade in foreign currency is perfectly legal.