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it won't bring the unemployment rate down

1 descendre

descendre [desɑ̃dʀ]

➭ TABLE 41

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► descendre is conjugated with être, unless it has an object, when the auxiliary is avoir.

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1. intransitive verb

   a. ( = aller vers le bas) to go down ; (venir d'en haut) to come down (à, vers to) ( dans into)

• aidez-la à descendre (de sa chaise) help her down ; (dans l'escalier) help her downstairs

• descendre à pied/à bicyclette to walk/cycle down

• on descend par un sentier étroit the way down is by a narrow path

• descendre en courant to run down

• descendre par l'ascenseur to go down in the lift (Brit) or elevator (US)

• descendre à Marseille to go down to Marseilles

• descendre en ville to go into town

   b. (d'un lieu élevé) descendre de [+ toit, colline, échelle, arbre] to come down from

• fais descendre le chien du fauteuil get the dog off the chair

   c. (d'un moyen de transport) descendre de voiture to get out of the car

• « tout le monde descend ! » "all change!"

• vous descendez à la prochaine ? are you getting off at the next stop?

• descendre à terre to go ashore

• descendre de cheval to dismount

• descendre de bicyclette to get off one's bicycle

   d. ( = atteindre) [habits, cheveux] descendre à or jusqu'à to come down to

   e. ( = loger) descendre dans un hôtel or à l'hôtel to stay at a hotel

   f. ( = s'étendre de haut en bas) [colline, route] descendre en pente douce to slope gently down

• descendre en pente raide to drop away sharply

   g. ( = tomber) [obscurité, neige] to fall ; [soleil] to go down

• le brouillard descend sur la vallée the fog is coming down over the valley

   h. ( = baisser) to fall ; [mer, marée] to go out

• il est descendu à la dixième place he's fallen back into tenth position

• l'équipe est descendue en seconde division the team has gone down into the second division

   i. ( = faire irruption) la police est descendue dans cette boîte de nuit the police raided the night club

   j. ( = être avalé ou digéré) (inf) ça descend bien [vin, repas] that goes down well

• il a bu une bière pour faire descendre son sandwich he washed his sandwich down with a beer

2. indirect transitive verb

• descendre de ( = avoir pour ancêtre) to be descended from

• l'homme descend du singe man is descended from the apes

3. transitive verb

   a. ( = parcourir vers le bas) [+ escalier, colline, pente] to go down

• descendre une rivière en canoë to go down a river in a canoe

   b. ( = porter, apporter en bas) [+ valise] to get down ; [+ meuble] to take down

• tu peux me descendre mes lunettes ? can you bring my glasses down for me?

• il faut descendre la poubelle tous les soirs the rubbish (Brit) or garbage (US) has to be taken down every night

• je te descends en ville I'll take you into town

• le bus me descend à ma porte the bus drops me at my front door

   c. ( = baisser) [+ étagère, rayon] to lower

• descends les stores pull the blinds down

   d. ( = tuer) [+ personne] (inf) to do in (inf!)

• l'auteur s'est fait descendre en beauté (par la critique) the author was shot down in flames (by the critics)

   e. ( = boire) [+ bouteille] (inf) to down (inf)

• qu'est-ce qu'il descend ! he drinks like a fish! (inf)

* * *
dɛsɑ̃dʀ
1.

verbe transitif (+ v avoir)

1) ( transporter) ( en bas) gén to take [sb/sth] down (à to); ( d'en haut) gén to bring [sb/sth] down (de from)

je peux vous descendre au village — I can take you down to the village

descends-moi mes pantoufles — bring my slippers down for me

2) ( placer plus bas) to put [something] down [objet]; ( en abaissant) gén to lower (de by); ( avec une manivelle) to wind [something] down

descends le store — put the blind down

descendre un seau dans un puits — to lower a bucket into a well

3) ( réussir à mettre plus bas) to get [something] down [objet]

comment va-t-on descendre le piano? — ( de l'étage) how are we going to get the piano downstairs?

4) ( parcourir) ( en allant) to go down; ( en venant) to come down [pente, rue, marches, fleuve]

descendre la colline en rampant/à bicyclette — to crawl/to cycle down the hill

descendre la rivière en pagayant/à la nage — to paddle/to swim down the river

5) (colloq) ( éliminer) to bump off (colloq) [personne]; to shoot down [avion]

on l'a descendu d'une balle dans la tête — he was shot in the head and killed

6) (colloq) ( malmener) to tear [sb/sth] to pieces

7) (colloq) ( boire) [personne] to down [bouteille]

2.

verbe intransitif (+ v être)

1) ( se déplacer) [personne] ( en allant) gén to go down (à to); ( en venant) gén to come down (de from); [ascenseur, avion] ( en allant) to go down; ( en venant) to come down; [oiseau] to fly down; [soleil] to set ( sur over); [nuit] to fall; [brouillard] to come down ( sur over)

peux-tu descendre chercher mon sac? — can you go downstairs and get my bag?

il est descendu fumer — he went downstairs to smoke

tu es descendu à pied? — did you walk down?

nous sommes descendus par la route — ( à pied) we walked down by the road; ( à cheval) we rode down by the road

descends, je te suis — go on down, I'll follow you

descendre de — to step off [trottoir, marche]; to climb down from [mur, tabouret, échelle]

descendre aux Enfers — Religion to descend into Hell

descends de là! — get down from there!

faites-les descendre — send them down [clients, marchandises]

faire descendre sa jupe — to pull one's skirt down

2) ( d'un moyen de transport)

descendre d'une voiture — to get out of a car

descendre d'un train/bus/avion — to get off a train/bus/plane

descendre de bicyclette — to get off one's bicycle

descendre de cheval — to get off one's horse, to dismount sout

descendre à Marseille — (d'avion, de bateau, bus, train) to get off at Marseilles

3) ( s'étendre de haut en bas) [route, voie ferrée] to go downhill, to go down; [terrain] to go down

descendre jusqu'à la mer — [route, rivière] to go right down to the sea

descendre en lacets — [route] to wind its way down

descendre en pente douce — [terrain, route] to slope down gently

descendre en pente raide — [terrain, route] to drop steeply

4) ( atteindre) [vêtement, cheveux] to come down ( jusqu'à to)

5) ( baisser) [niveau, baromètre, température, pression, prix, taux] to drop, to go down (à to; de by); [marée] to go out

l'euro est or a descendu par rapport à la livre — the euro has dropped ou gone down against the pound

ça fait descendre la température — gén it lowers the temperature; Médecine it brings one's temperature down

ça ne fera pas descendre le taux de chômage — it won't bring the unemployment rate down

6) (se rendre, séjourner)

descendre dans le Midi — to go down to the South (of France)

descendre dans un hôtel — to stay at a hotel

descendre dans la rue — Politique to take to the streets

7) ( être issu)

descendre de — gén to come from; ( génétiquement) to be descended from

* * *
desɑ̃dʀ
1. vt

1) [escalier, montagne] (en allant) to go down, (en venant) to come down

Je suis tombé en descendant l'escalier. — I fell down the stairs., I fell as I was going down the stairs.

2) [valise, paquet] (en allant) to take down, (en venant) (de l'étage en dessus, du grenier) to bring down, (d'une étagère) to get down

Vous pouvez descendre ma valise, s'il vous plaît? — Can you get my suitcase down, please?

3) [étagère] to lower

4) * (= abattre) to shoot down

5) * (= boire) to knock back *

2. vi

1) (aller) to go down, (venir) to come down

Attends en bas, je descends! — Wait downstairs, I'm coming down!

descendre à pied — to walk down, to go down on foot

descendre en voiture — to drive down, to go down by car

descendre d'un arbre — to climb down from a tree

descendre de cheval — to dismount

descendre en ville — to go into town, to go down town

descendre dans la rue (= manifester) — to take to the streets

2) [passager] (d'une voiture) to get out, (d'un train, d'un bus) to get off

descendre du train — to get off the train

Nous descendons à la prochaine station. — We're getting off at the next station.

descendre à l'hôtel — to stay at a hotel

3) [niveau, température] to go down, to come down, [marée] to go out

4)

descendre de (= avoir pour origine) — to be descended from

* * *

descendre verb table: rendre

A vtr

1 ( transporter) ( en bas) gén to take [sb/sth] down [personne, objet] (à to); ( à l'étage) to take [sb/sth] downstairs [personne, objet]; ( d'en haut) gén to bring [sb/sth] down [personne, objet] (de from); ( de l'étage) to bring [sb/sth] downstairs [personne, objet]; descendre les bouteilles à la cave to take the bottles down to the cellar; descendre les valises du grenier to bring the suitcases down from the attic; je peux vous descendre au village I can take you down to the village; descends-moi mes pantoufles bring my slippers down for me; je leur ai fait descendre les bouteilles à la cave I had them take the bottles down to the cellar; j'ai fait descendre le piano dans le salon I had the piano taken ou brought down to the living room; faites-moi descendre les dossiers secrets have the secret files brought down to me;

2 ( placer plus bas) to put [sth] down [objet]; ( en abaissant) gén to lower (de by); ( avec une manivelle) to wind [sth] down; descends le store put the blind down; j'ai descendu le vase sur l'étagère du bas/de l'étagère du haut I moved the vase down to the bottom shelf/from the top shelf; descendre l'étagère d'un cran/de 20 centimètres to lower the shelf by one notch/by 20 centimetres^GB; descendre un seau dans un puits to lower a bucket into a well;

3 ( réussir à mettre plus bas) to get [sth] down [objet]; impossible de descendre le piano par l'escalier/par la fenêtre it's impossible to get the piano down the stairs/through the window; comment va-t-on descendre le piano? ( de l'étage) how are we going to get the piano downstairs?; ( du camion) how are we going to get the piano out?; tu peux me descendre cette valise de l'armoire? can you get this suitcase down from the wardrobe for me?;

4 ( parcourir) ( en allant) to go down [pente, rue, marches, fleuve]; ( en venant) to come down [pente, rue, marches, fleuve]; je l'ai vu descendre les escaliers sur le derrière○ I saw him slide down the stairs on his bottom; descendre la colline en rampant/à bicyclette to crawl/to cycle down the hill; descendre la rivière en pagayant/à la nage to paddle/to swim down the river; je leur ai fait descendre la colline en courant I made them run down the hill; il m'a fait descendre les escaliers trois fois he made me go downstairs ou down the stairs three times;

5 ○( éliminer) to bump off○, to plug○, to kill [personne]; to shoot down [avion]; se faire descendre [personne] to be bumped off○; [avion] to be shot down; on l'a descendu d'une balle dans la poitrine/tête he was shot in the chest/head and killed;

6 ○( malmener) to tear [sb/sth] to pieces; il s'est fait descendre par la presse the newspapers tore him to pieces; ils ont descendu ma thèse pendant deux heures they spent two hours tearing my thesis to pieces;

7 ○( boire) [personne] to down [bouteille, verre]; il a descendu son verre en deux secondes he downed his drink in two seconds flat.

B vi (+ v être)

1 ( se déplacer) [personne] ( en allant) gén to go down (à to); ( de l'étage) to go downstairs; ( en venant) gén to come down (de from); ( de l'étage) to come downstairs; [train, ascenseur, téléphérique, avion, hélicoptère] ( en allant) to go down; ( en venant) to come down; [oiseau] to fly down; [soleil] to set (sur over); [nuit] to fall; [brouillard] to come down (sur over); reste ici, je descends à la cave stay here, I'm going down to the cellar; peux-tu descendre chercher mon sac? can you go downstairs and get my bag?; tu peux descendre m'aider à pousser l'armoire? can you come downstairs and help me push the wardrobe?; il est descendu fumer he went downstairs to smoke; te voilà! tu es descendu par l'ascenseur? there you are! did you come down in the elevator?; tu es descendu à pied? did you walk down?; je préfère descendre par l'escalier I prefer to go down by the stairs; nous sommes descendus par le sentier/la route ( à pied) we walked down by the path/the road; ( à cheval) we rode down by the path/the road; il est descendu du col à bicyclette/en voiture he cycled/drove down from the pass; où est l'écureuil? il a dû descendre de l'arbre where's the squirrel? it must have come down ou climbed down from the tree; descends, je te suis go on down, I'll follow you; descends de là! get down from there!; je suis descendu au fond du puits/au bas de la falaise I went down to the bottom of the well/to the foot of the cliff; descendre de son lit to get out of bed; descendre de son nid [oiseau] to fly out of its nest; descendre de [personne] to step off [trottoir, marche]; [animal] to get off [marche, trottoir]; [personne, animal] to climb down from [mur, tabouret]; il est descendu du toit [enfant, chat] he' s come down from the roof; descendre de l'échelle/l'arbre/la corde to climb down from the ladder/the tree/the rope; descendre à la verticale [paquet, alpiniste] to descend vertically; descendre aux Enfers Relig to descend into Hell; l'air froid fait descendre les ballons/planeurs cold air makes balloons/gliders drop; elle m'a fait/ne m'a pas laissé descendre à la cave she had me/didn't let me go down to the cellar; faites-les descendre send them down [clients, marchandises]; faire descendre sa jupe/ses bas/son châle to pull one's skirt/one's tights/one's shawl down;

2 ( d'un moyen de transport) descendre d'une voiture to get out of a car; le chien ne veut pas descendre ( de la voiture) the dog doesn't want to get out; descendre d'un train/bus/avion to get off a train/bus/plane; descendre d'avion/de bateau to get off a plane/a boat; descendre de bicyclette to get off one 's bicycle; descendre de cheval to get off one's horse, to dismount sout; descendre à Marseille (d'avion, de bateau, de bus, de train) to get off at Marseilles;

3 ( s'étendre de haut en bas) [route, voie ferrée] to go downhill, to go down; [terrain] to go down; [canalisations, ligne téléphonique] ( en allant) to go down; ( en venant) to come down; [rivière] to flow down; descendre jusqu'à [chemin, muraille, escalier] to go down to; descendre jusqu'à la mer [route, rivière] to go right down to the sea; descendre en lacets [route] to wind its way down; descendre en pente douce [terrain, route] to slope down gently; descendre en pente raide [terrain, route] to drop steeply; descendre brusquement sur 200 mètres [pente, route] to drop sharply for 200 metres^GB;

4 ( atteindre) [vêtement, cheveux] to come down (jusqu'à to); robe qui descend jusqu'aux chevilles dress that comes down to the ankles; elle avait une robe qui lui descendait aux chevilles she was wearing an ankle-length dress; il a les cheveux qui lui descendent sur la nuque/jusqu'à la taille his hair comes down the nape of his neck/to his waist;

5 ( baisser) [niveau, baromètre, température, pression, prix, taux] to drop, to go down (à to; de by); [marée] to go out; l’euro est or a descendu par rapport à la livre the euro has dropped ou gone down against the pound ; faire descendre les cours de 2% to bring prices down by 2%; ça va faire descendre le dollar it'll send ou put the dollar down; ça fait descendre la température gén it lowers the temperature; Méd it brings one's temperature down; ça ne fera pas descendre le taux de chômage it won't bring the unemployment rate down;

6 (se rendre, séjourner) descendre à Marseille/dans le Midi to go down to Marseilles/to the South (of France); descendre en ville to go into town; descendre dans un hôtel to stay at a hotel; descendre dans la rue gén to go outside; Pol to take to the streets; descendre dans un bar/chez qn [police] to raid a bar/sb's place;

7 ( être issu) descendre de gén to come from; ( génétiquement) to be descended from; descendre d'une famille de négociants to come from a family of merchants; l'homme descend du singe man is descended from the ape;

8 ○( passer) boire de l'eau pour faire descendre la viande to have a drink of water to help the meat down; un petit vin qui descend bien a wine which slips down nicely.

[desɑ̃dr] verbe intransitif (aux être)

A.

1. [personne, mécanisme, avion - vu d'en haut] to go down ; [ - vu d'en bas] to come down

[oiseau] to fly ou to swoop down

j'ai rencontré la concierge en descendant I met the caretaker on my way down

aide-moi à descendre help me down

je descends toujours par l'escalier I always go down by the stairs ou take the stairs down

notre équipe est descendue à la huitième place our team moved down ou dropped to eighth place

le premier coureur à descendre au-dessous de dix secondes au 100 mètres the first runner to break ten seconds for the 100 metres

la pièce de monnaie ne voulait pas descendre (dans la fente) the coin wouldn't go down (the slot)

son chapeau lui descendait jusqu'aux yeux his hat came down over his eyes

mes chaussettes descendent my socks are falling down ou slipping down

faire descendre: fais descendre la malade help the patient down

ils ont fait descendre les passagers sur les rails they made the passengers get down onto the tracks

ils nous ont fait descendre du train they made us get off the train

c'est ce mécanisme qui fait descendre la plate-forme this mechanism brings the platform down ou lowers the platform

descendre de

a. [échafaudage, échelle] to come ou to climb down from, to get down from

b. [arbre] to climb ou to come down out of

c. [balançoire] to get off

descendre dans la rue [manifester] to take to the streets

2. [air froid, brouillard] to come down

[soleil] to go down

la nuit ou le soir descend night is closing in ou falling

3. [se rendre - dans un lieu d'altitude inférieure, dans le Sud, à la campagne] to go down

descendre en ville to go into town, to go downtown (US)

je suis descendu à Bordeaux en voiture I drove down to Bordeaux

4. [poser pied à terre - d'un véhicule] to get off, to alight (soutenu)

‘ne pas descendre avant l'arrêt complet du train’ ‘please do not attempt to alight until the train has come to a complete standstill’

descendre à terre to go ashore

descendre de bateau to get off a boat, to land

descendre de voiture to get out of a car

descendre de vélo to get off one's bike

à quelle station descendez-vous? where do you get off?

aider une vieille dame à descendre to help an old lady off

5. [faire irruption]

la police est descendue chez elle/dans son bar the police raided her place/her bar

6. [se loger] to stay

descendre dans un hôtel to put up at ou to stay at a hotel

7. (familier) [repas, boisson] to go ou to slip down

ton petit vin rouge descend bien your red wine goes down very easily

bois un café pour faire descendre tout ça have a coffee to wash it all down

avec lui, ça descend!

a. [il boit] he really knocks it back!

b. [il mange] he can really tuck it away!

8. DANSE & THÉÂTRE to go downstage

B.

1. [cheveux, vêtement]

descendre à ou jusqu'à

a. to come down to

b. [puits] to go down to

la jupe doit descendre jusqu'au-dessous du genou the skirt must cover the knee

2. [suivre une pente - rivière] to flow down ; [ - route] to go down ou downwards ; [ - toit] to slope down

le sentier descendait parmi les oliviers the path threaded its way down through the olive grove

le jardin descend en pente douce jusqu'à la plage the garden slopes gently down to the beach

descendre en pente raide [route, terrain, toit] to drop sharply

la route descend brusquement the road suddenly dips

C.

1. [baisser - marée, mer] to go out (inseparable), to ebb ; [ - prix] to go down, to fall

la température est descendue au-dessous de zéro the temperature has dropped ou fallen below zero

les températures ne descendent jamais au-dessous de 10º temperatures never fall below 10º

le thermomètre descend (familier) the weather's ou it's getting colder

le cours du café est descendu à 800 dollars the trading price of coffee has fallen down to 800 dollars

l'essence est descendue au-dessous de un euro the price of petrol has fallen below the one euro mark

faire descendre [inflation, prix] to bring ou to push down (separable)

j'ai essayé de lui faire descendre son prix I tried to get him to lower his price

faire descendre la fièvre to bring down somebody's temperature

2. [s'abaisser moralement] to stoop

descendre dans l'estime de quelqu'un to go down in somebody's estimation

3. MUSIQUE to go ou to drop down

descendre d'une octave to go down ou to drop an octave

————————

[desɑ̃dr] verbe transitif (aux avoir)

1. [parcourir - escalier, montagne] to go down (inseparable)

descendre le courant [détritus, arbre] to float downstream

descendre un fleuve

a. [en nageant] to swim downstream

b. [en bateau] to sail down a river

ils ont descendu le Mississippi en radeau they went down the Mississippi on a raft

il a descendu tout le terrain balle au pied FOOTBALL he ran the length of the field with the ball

2. [placer plus bas - tableau] to lower ; [ - store] to pull down (separable), to lower

il faudrait descendre le cadre de deux centimètres the frame should be taken down two centimetres

3. [porter vers le bas - colis] to take down (separable), to get down (separable), - porter vers soi] to bring down (separable)

descendez les chaises en bas de la pelouse carry the chairs down to the far end of the lawn

tu pourrais me descendre une veste, s'il te plaît? could you bring me down a jacket please?

ils ont descendu le sauveteur au bout d'une corde they lowered the rescuer on the end of a rope

4. [amener en voiture] to take ou to drive down (separable)

5. (familier) [abattre - gangster] to gun ou to shoot down (separable) ; [ - avion] to bring ou to shoot down (separable)

se faire descendre to get shot

6. (familier) [critiquer] to pan, to slate

il s'est fait descendre par le jury he was slated by the jury

7. (familier) [boire - bouteille] to down, to knock back (separable)

8. MUSIQUE

descendre la gamme to go down the scale

————————

descendre de verbe plus préposition

[être issu de] to be descended from

le prince descendait des Habsbourg the prince was descended from the Habsburgs

Dictionnaire Français-Anglais > descendre
2 point

point [pwɛ̃]

━━━━━━━━━

1. masculine noun

2. compounds

━━━━━━━━━

1. <

   a. point

• point d'ébullition boiling point

• point de congélation freezing point

• point de détail point of detail

• sa cote de popularité a baissé de trois points his popularity rating has fallen by three points

• gagner aux points (Boxing) to win on points

• nous abordons maintenant un point capital we now come to a crucial point

• exposé en trois points three-point presentation

• ils sont d'accord sur ce point they agree on this point

• passons au point suivant de l'ordre du jour let us move on to the next item on the agenda

   b. ( = endroit) place ; (Astronomy, mathematics) point

• pour aller d'un point à un autre to get from one place to another

   c. ( = position) (Aviation, nautical) position

• et maintenant, le point sur la grève des transports and now, the latest on the transport strike

   d. ( = marque) (Mus, morse, sur i) dot ; ( = ponctuation) full stop (Brit), period (US) ; ( = petite tache) spot

• mettre les points sur les i (figurative) to spell it out

• point, à la ligne new paragraph ; (figurative) full stop (Brit) period (US)

• tu n'iras pas, un point c'est tout you're not going and that's all there is to it

   e. (sur devoir) mark

• enlever un point par faute (sur devoir) to take a mark off for every mistake

• bon point good mark (for conduct etc) ; (figurative) plus

• mauvais point bad mark (for conduct etc) ; (figurative) minus

• c'est un bon point pour vous that's a point in your favour!

   f. [de couture, tricot] stitch

   g. (locutions) avoir des points communs to have things in common

• nous en sommes toujours au même point we're no further forward

► faire le point to take a bearing

• faire le point de la situation ( = examiner) to take stock of the situation ; ( = faire un compte rendu) to sum up the situation► à point [fruit] just ripe ; [fromage] just right for eating ; [viande] medium

• le rôti est cuit à point the roast is done to a turn► à point (nommé) [arriver, venir] just at the right moment

• cela tombe à point (nommé) that comes just at the right moment► à ce point, à tel point

• est-il possible d'être bête à ce point ! how stupid can you get? (inf)

• vous voyez à quel point il est généreux you see the extent of his generosity

• elles se ressemblent à tel point or à ce point qu'on pourrait les confondre they look so alike that you could easily mistake one for the other► au point [photo] in focus ; [affaire] completely settled ; [technique, machine] perfected

• ce n'est pas encore au point it isn't quite up to scratch yet► au point de + infinitif so much that

• il aimait le Québec au point d'y passer toutes ses vacances he loved Quebec so much that he spent all his holidays there

• tirer sur une corde au point de la casser to pull on a rope so hard that it breaks► au point que

• il se détestent au point qu'ils ne se parlent plus they hate each other so much that they've stopped speaking► au point où

• en être arrivé au point où... to have reached the point where...

• au point où nous en sommes considering the situation we're in

• on continue ? -- au point où on en est ! shall we go on? -- we've got this far so we might as well!► au plus haut point [détester, admirer] intensely

• se méfier au plus haut point de qch to be highly sceptical about sth► mettre au point [+ photo, caméra] to focus ; [+ stratégie, technique] to perfect ; [+ médicament, invention, système] to develop ; [+ projet] to finalize

• mettre une affaire au point avec qn to finalize all the details of a matter with sb► mise au point [d'appareil photo, caméra] focusing ; [de stratégie, technique] perfecting ; [de médicament, invention, système] development ; [de moteur] tuning ; [d'affaire, projet] finalizing ; ( = explication, correction) clarification

• publier une mise au point to issue a statement (setting the record straight)► en tout point, en tous points in every respect

► jusqu'à un certain point up to a point

► point par point point by point

► être sur le point de faire qch to be about to do sth

2. <

► point d'appui [de levier] fulcrum ; [de personne] support

• chercher un point d'appui to look for something to lean on ► points cardinaux cardinal points

► point chaud trouble spot

► point de chute

• vous avez un point de chute à Rome ? do you have somewhere to stay in Rome? ► point commun

• nous avons beaucoup de points communs we have a lot in common ► point de côté stitch

► point critique critical point

► point de croix cross-stitch

► point culminant [de montagne] peak ; [de carrière] height

► point de départ point of departure

• revenir à son point de départ to come back to where one started

• nous voilà revenus au point de départ so we're back to square one (inf) ► point de distribution [d'eau] supply point ; (Business) distribution outlet

► point de droit point of law

► point d'eau ( = source) watering place ; [de camping] water point

► point d'exclamation exclamation mark (Brit) or point (US)

► point faible weak point

► point final full stop (Brit), period (US)

► point fort strong point

► point d'honneur

• mettre un point d'honneur à faire qch to make it a point of honour to do sth ► point d'interrogation question mark

► point d'intersection point of intersection

► point de jersey stocking stitch

► point lumineux spot of light

► point mort (dans véhicule) neutral ; (Finance) break-even point

• au point mort [voiture] in neutral ; [de négociations, affaires] at a standstill ► point mousse garter stitch

► point névralgique (figurative) sensitive spot

► point noir ( = comédon) blackhead ; ( = problème) problem

► point de non-retour point of no return

► point de rassemblement meeting point

► point de ravitaillement (en nourriture) refreshment point ; (en essence) refuelling point

► points de retraite points based on social security contributions that count towards one's pension

► point sensible (sur la peau) tender spot ; (figurative) sore point

► point stratégique key point

► points de suspension suspension points ; (en dictant) dot, dot, dot

► point de suture stitch

• faire des points de suture à qch to stitch sth up ► point de vente sales outlet

• liste des points de vente list of retailers ► point de vue viewpoint ; (figurative) point of view

• du point de vue moral from a moral point of view

• quel est votre point de vue sur ce sujet ? what's your point of view on this matter?

* * *
pwɛ̃
1.

nom masculin

1) ( endroit) point

un point de rencontre — a meeting point

point de vente — (sales) outlet

2) ( situation) point; Nautisme position

être sur le point de faire — to be just about to do, to be on the point of doing

j'en suis toujours au même point (qu'hier/qu'il y a un an) — I'm still exactly where I was (yesterday/last year)

au point où j'en suis, ça n'a pas d'importance! — I've reached the point where it doesn't matter any more!

faire le point — Nautisme to take bearings; fig to take stock of the situation

3) ( degré)

il m'agace au plus haut point — he annoys me intensely

je ne le pensais pas bête à ce point — I didn't think he was that stupid

‘j'en aurais pleuré’ - ‘ah bon, à ce point?’ — ‘I could have cried’ - ‘really? it was that bad?’

si tu savais à quel point il m'agace! — if you only knew how much he annoys me!

au point que — to the extent that

à tel point que — to such an extent that

douloureux au point que — so painful that

il est têtu à un point! — (colloq) he's so incredibly stubborn!

jusqu'à un certain point — up to a (certain) point, to a certain extent

4) ( question particulière) point; ( dans un ordre du jour) item, point

un programme en trois points — a three-point plan

un point de détail — a minor point

en tout point, en tous points — in every respect ou way

5) ( marque visible) dot

un point de colle — a spot of glue

un point de rouille — a speck of rust

6) Jeux, Sport point

marquer/perdre des points — lit, fig to score/to lose points

compter les points — to keep (the) score

un point partout! — one all!

gagner aux points — to win on points

7) ( pour évaluer) mark GB, point US

avoir sept points d'avance/de retard — to be seven marks ahead/behind

obtenir or avoir 27 points sur 40 — to get 27 out of 40

être un bon point pour — to be a plus point for

être un mauvais point pour quelqu'un/quelque chose — to be a black mark against somebody/something

8) ( dans un système de calcul) point

la livre a perdu trois points — the pound lost three points

le permis à points — system whereby driving offender gets penalty points

9) Mathématique point

point d'intersection — point of intersection

10) Linguistique ( en ponctuation) full stop GB, period US

point à la ligne — ( dans une dictée) full stop, new paragraph

point final — ( dans une dictée) full stop

mettre un point final à quelque chose — fig to put a stop ou an end to something

je n'irai pas, point final! — (colloq) I'm not going, full stop GB ou period US!

tu vas te coucher un point c'est tout! — (colloq) you're going to bed and that's final!

11) Musique dot

12) ( en typographie) point

13) Médecine ( douleur) pain

avoir un point à l'aine — to have a pain in the groin

14) (en couture, tricot) stitch

faire un point à quelque chose — to put a few stitches in something

dentelle au point de Venise — Venetian lace

2.

(dated) adverbe not

tu ne tueras point — thou shalt not kill

3.

à point locution adverbiale

1) ( en temps voulu) just in time

à point nommé — just at the right moment

2) Culinaire

(cuit) à point — medium rare

le camembert est à point — the camembert is ready to eat

4.

au point locution

être au point — [système, machine] to be well designed; [spectacle] to be well put together

leur système n'est pas encore très au point — their system still needs some working on

le prototype n'est pas encore au point — the prototype isn't quite ready yet

mettre au point — ( élaborer) to perfect [système]; to work out, to devise [accord, plan]; to develop [vaccin, appareil]; ( régler) to adjust

finir de mettre quelque chose au point — to put the finishing touches to something

mise au point — ( de système) perfecting; ( de vaccin) development; ( réglage) adjusting; Photographie focus; fig ( déclaration) clarifying statement

faire la mise au point — Photographie to focus

faire une mise au point — fig to set the record straight ( sur about)

Phrasal Verbs:

- point d'ancrage

- point d'appui

- point d'attache

- point cardinal

- point chaud

- point de chute

- point commun

- point de côté

- point de départ

- point d'eau

- point d'exclamation

- point de fuite

- point de fusion

- point d'interrogation

- point du jour

- point de mire

- point mort

- point noir

- point d'orgue

- point de penalty

- point de repère

- point de suture

- point de vue

- points de suspension

••

être mal en point — to be in a bad way

* * *
pwɛ̃
1. nm

1) (= marque, signe) dot

2) [ponctuation] full stop Grande-Bretagne period USA

3) (= moment) point

à ce point de la conversation — at that point in the conversation

Nous en sommes au même point. — We have reached the same point.

à point (nommé) — just at the right time

être sur le point de faire — to be just about to do

J'étais sur le point de te téléphoner. — I was just about to phone you.

4) (= degré)

à ce point (avec adjectif) — so

à ce point abîmé que... — so damaged that...

au point que; à tel point que — so much so that

5) (au score) point

6) (= aspect) point

Je ne suis pas d'accord sur ce point. — I don't agree on this point.

en tout point — in every respect

7) (= endroit) spot, point, (en géométrie) point

point de départ — point of departure

point d'arrivée — arrival point

8) COUTURE, TRICOT stitch

point de croix — cross stitch

point de tige — stem stitch

point de chaînette — chain stitch

point mousse — garter stitch, plain

point jersey — purl

9) CUISINE

à point (= bien mûr) — just right, (viande) medium

"Comment voulez-vous votre steak?" — "À point." — "How would you like your steak?" — "Medium."

10) (autres locutions)

faire le point NAVIGATION — to take a bearing, figto take stock

faire le point sur — to review, to take stock of

mettre au point [mécanisme, procédé] — to develop, [appareil-photo] to focus

2. adv

lit (= pas) not

point n'est besoin de... — there is no need to...

point de... — no...

il n'est point de liberté sans contraintes — there is no freedom without constraints

3. vb

See:

poindre

* * *

point ⇒ Les points cardinaux

A nm

1 ( endroit) point; un point précis du globe/sur une carte a particular point on the earth/on a map; un point de ravitaillement/ralliement a staging/rallying point; un point de rencontre a meeting point; point de vente (sales) outlet; serrure 3 points 3 point lock;

2 ( situation) point; Naut position; être sur le point de faire to be just about to do, to be on the point of doing; j'étais sur le point de leur dire/d'abandonner/de partir I was just about to tell them/to give up/to leave, I was on the point of telling them/giving up/leaving; j'en suis toujours au même point (qu'hier/qu'il y a un an) I'm still exactly where I was (yesterday/last year); au point où j'en suis, ça n'a pas d'importance! I've reached the point where it doesn't matter any more!; il en est au point où il allume une cigarette en se levant he's got GB ou gotten US to the stage ou point where he lights a cigarette as soon as he gets up; faire le point Naut to take bearings; fig to take stock of the situation; faire le point sur la situation économique/sur la recherche scientifique fig to take stock of the economic situation/of scientific research; faire le point sur la circulation (routière)/l'actualité to give an up-to-the-minute report on the traffic news/current situation;

3 ( degré) il m'agace/m'inquiète au plus haut point he annoys me/worries me intensely; la circulation était à ce point bloquée que j'ai dû laisser ma voiture au bord de la route the traffic was so bad that I had to leave my car on the side of the road; je ne le pensais pas bête/coléreux à ce point I didn't think he was that stupid/quick-tempered; ‘j'en aurais pleuré’-‘ah bon, à ce point?’ ‘I could have cried’-‘really? it was that bad?’; je sais à quel point elle est triste/sensible I know how sad/sensitive she is; si tu savais à quel point il m'agace! if you only knew how much he annoys me!; au point que to the extent that; à tel point que to such an extent that…; douloureux/endommagé à (un) tel or au point que so painful/badly damaged that; la situation s'est aggravée au point qu'ils ont dû appeler la police the situation became so bad that the police had to be called in; le temps s'est rafraîchi au point qu'il a fallu remettre le chauffage the weather got so cold that the heating had to be put back on; il est têtu à un point! he's so incredibly stubborn!; jusqu'à un certain point up to a (certain) point, to a certain extent;

4 ( question particulière) point; ( dans un ordre du jour) item, point; un programme en trois points a three-point plan; un point fondamental/de détail (d'un texte) a basic/minor point (in a text); sur ce point on this point; j'aimerais revenir sur ce dernier point I would like to come back to that last point; un point de désaccord/litige a point of disagreement/contention; reprendre un texte point par point to go over a text point by point; en tout point, en tous points in every respect ou way; une politique en tous points désastreuse a policy that is disastrous in every respect; les deux modèles sont semblables en tous points the two models are alike in every respect;

5 ( marque visible) gén dot; les villes sont marquées par un point towns are marked by a dot; il y a un point sur le i et le j there's a dot on the i and the j; un point lumineux/rouge dans le lointain a light/a red dot in the distance; bientôt, le navire ne fut qu'un point à l'horizon soon, the ship was a mere dot ou speck on the horizon; un point de colle a spot of glue; un point de rouille a speck of rust; points de graissage lubricating points; ⇒ i;

6 Jeux, Sport point; marquer/perdre des points lit, fig to score/lose points; compter les points to keep (the) score; un point partout! one all!; battre son adversaire aux points to beat one's opponent on points; remporter une victoire aux points to win on points;

7 ( pour évaluer) mark GB, point US; avoir sept points d'avance to be seven marks ahead; avoir dix points de retard to be ten marks behind; il m'a manqué trois points pour réussir I failed by three marks; enlever un point par faute to take a mark off for each mistake; obtenir or avoir 27 points sur 40 to get 27 out of 40; être un bon point pour to be a plus point for; être un mauvais point pour qn/qch to be a black mark against sb/sth;

8 ( dans un système de calcul) point; la livre a perdu trois points the pound lost three points; le taux de chômage a augmenté de 0,8 points the unemployment rate rose by 0.8 points; le permis à points system whereby driving offender gets penalty points; il a perdu sept points dans les sondages he's gone down seven points in the polls;

9 Math point; point d'intersection/d'inflexion point of intersection/of inflection;

10 Ling ( en ponctuation) full stop GB, period US; mettre un point to put a full stop; point à la ligne ( dans une dictée) full stop, new paragraph; point final ( dans une dictée) full stop; mettre un point final à qch fig to put a stop ou an end to sth; je n'irai pas, point final○! I'm not going, full stop GB ou period US!; tu vas te coucher un point c'est tout○! you're going to bed and that's final!;

11 Mus dot;

12 Imprim point;

13 Méd ( douleur) pain; avoir un point à la poitrine/à l'aine to have a pain in the chest/in the groin;

14 (en couture, tricot) stitch; faire un point à qch to put a few stitches in sth; dentelle au point de Venise Venetian lace.

B †adv not; tu ne tueras point Bible thou shalt not kill; je n'en ai point I don't have any; ‘tu es fâché?’-‘non point!’ ‘are you angry?’-‘not at all’.

C à point loc adv venir/arriver à point to come/arrive just in time; venir/arriver or tomber à point nommé to come/arrive just at the right moment; faire cuire à point to cook [sth] medium rare [viande]; bifteck (cuit) à point medium rare steak; le camembert est à point the camembert is ready to eat.

D au point loc adv, loc adj être au point [système, méthode, machine] to be well designed; [spectacle, émission] to be well put together; leur système/machine/spectacle n'est pas encore très au point their system/machine/show still needs some working on; le nouveau modèle est très au point the new model is very well designed; le spectacle n'était pas du tout au point the show wasn't up to scratch; le prototype n'est pas encore au point the prototype isn't quite ready yet; ça fait des semaines qu'ils répètent mais leur numéro n'est pas encore au point they've been rehearsing for weeks but they still haven't got GB ou gotten US it quite right; je ne suis pas au point pour les examens I'm not ready for the exams; mettre [qch] au point ( inventer) to perfect [théorie, système, méthode, technique]; to work out, to devise [accord, plan de paix, stratégie]; to develop [vaccin, médicament, appareil]; ( régler) to adjust [machine, mécanisme]; il leur reste deux semaines pour finir de mettre leur spectacle au point they've got two more weeks to put the finishing touches to their show; mettre au point sur qch Phot to focus on sth; mise au point Phot focus; fig ( déclaration) clarifying statement; la mise au point est automatique sur mon appareil my camera has automatic focus; faire la mise au point Phot to focus (sur on); faire une mise au point fig to set the record straight (sur about); mise au point ( invention) (de théorie, système, méthode, technique) perfecting; (de médicament, vaccin) development; ( réglage) (de machine, mécanisme) adjusting; Phot focus.

Composés

point d'acupuncture Méd acupuncture point; point d'ancrage Aut anchor; fig base; point d'appui Mil base of operations; Phys fulcrum; gén support; les piliers servent de point d'appui à la charpente the roof structure is supported by the pillars; trouver un point d'appui à une échelle to find a support for a ladder; point arrière Cout back stitch; point d'attache base; point de bâti Cout tacking stitch; point blanc whitehead; point de blé ( en tricot) double moss stitch; point de boutonnière Cout buttonhole stitch; point cardinal Phys, Géog compass ou cardinal point; point de chaînette ( en broderie) chain stitch; point de chausson ( en broderie) herringbone stitch; point chaud trouble ou hot spot; les points chauds du globe the world's trouble spots; point de chute fig port of call; point commun mutual interest; nous avons beaucoup de points communs we have a lot in common; ils n'ont aucun point commun they have nothing in common; point de congestion† Méd slight congestion of the lung; point de côtes ( en tricot) rib; point de côté ( douleur) stitch; ( en couture) slip stitch; avoir un point de côté to have a stitch in one's side; point de croix ( en broderie) cross stitch; point de départ lit, fig starting point; nous revoilà à notre point de départ fig we're back to square one; point de devant Cout running stitch; point d'eau ( naturel) watering place; ( robinet) water tap GB ou faucet US; point d'ébullition boiling point; point d'épine ( en broderie) featherstitch; point d'exclamation Ling exclamation mark; point faible weak point; point de feston ( en broderie) blanket stitch; point fort strong point; point de fuite Art, Archit vanishing point; point de fusion melting point; point G G-spot; point d'interrogation Ling question mark; point de jersey ( en tricot) stocking stitch; point du jour daybreak; au point du jour at daybreak; point de liquéfaction liquefaction point; point de mire Mil target; fig focal point; point mousse ( en tricot) garter stitch; point mort Aut neutral; se mettre or passer/être au point mort Aut to put the car into/to be in neutral; être au point mort fig [affaires, consommation] to be at a standstill; [négociations] to be in a state of deadlock; point noir ( comédon) blackhead; ( problème) problem; ( sur la route) blackspot; l'inflation reste le seul point noir inflation is the only problem; point de non-retour point of no return; point d'orgue Mus pause sign; fig culmination; point d'ourlet Cout hemstitch; point de penalty penalty spot; point de piqûre Cout back stitch; point de presse Journ press briefing; point de repère ( spatial) landmark; (temporel, personnel) point of reference; point de reprise Cout darning stitch; point de retraite Prot Soc point which counts towards a retirement pension scheme; point de riz ( en tricot) moss stitch; point de surfil Cout whipstitch; point de suture Méd stitch; point de tige ( en broderie) stem stitch; point de torsade ( en tricot) cable stitch; point de vue ( paysage) viewpoint; ( opinion) point of view; du point de vue de la direction from the management's point of view; du point de vue de l'efficacité/du sens as far as efficiency/meaning is concerned; d'un point de vue économique c'est rentable/intéressant from a financial point of view it's profitable/attractive; points de suspension suspension points.

Idiome

être mal en point to be in a bad way.

I

[pwɛ̃] adverbe

(littéraire)

1. [en corrélation avec 'ne']

je ne l'ai point encore vu I haven't seen him yet

point n'est besoin de there's no need to

2. [employé seul]

du vin il y en avait, mais de champagne point there was wine, but no champagne ou not a drop of champagne

il eut beau chercher, point de John he searched in vain, John was nowhere to be found

point de démocratie sans liberté de critiquer (there can be) no democracy without the freedom to criticize

3. [en réponse négative]

point du tout! not at all!, not in the least!

II

[pwɛ̃] nom masculin

1. [marque] point, dot, spot

[sur un dé, un domino] pip, spot

un corsage à petits points bleus a blouse with blue polka dots

la voiture n'était plus qu'un point à l'horizon the car was now no more than a speck on the horizon

point lumineux spot ou point of light

point de rouille speck ou spot of rust

2. [petite quantité] spot, dab, blob

un point de soudure a spot ou blob of solder

3. [symbole graphique - en fin de phrase] full stop (UK), period (US) ; [ - sur un i ou un j] dot ; [ - en morse, en musique] dot

MATHÉMATIQUES point

point d'exclamation exclamation mark ou (US) point

point d'interrogation (sens propre & figuré) question mark

points de suspension ellipsis, suspension points (US)

point final full stop (UK), period (US) (at the end of a piece of text)

j'ai dit non, point final ou un point c'est tout! (figuré) I said no and that's that ou that's final ou there's an end to it!

mettre un point final à une discussion to terminate a discussion, to bring a discussion to an end

point, à la ligne! (sens propre) new paragraph!

il a fait une bêtise, point à la ligne! (figuré) he did something stupid, let's leave it at that!

4. AÉRONAUTIQUE & NAUTIQUE [position] position

point estimé/observé estimated/observed position

point fixe run-up

faire le point

a. NAUTIQUE to take a bearing, to plot one's position

b. (figuré) to take stock (of the situation)

à 40 ans, on s'arrête et on fait le point when you reach 40, you stand back and take stock of your life

et maintenant, le point sur la circulation and now, the latest traffic news

5. GÉOMÉTRIE point

point d'intersection/de tangence intersection/tangential point

6. [endroit] point, spot, place

en plusieurs points de la planète in different places ou spots on the planet

point de contrôle checkpoint

point névralgique

a. MÉDECINE nerve centre

b. (figuré) sensitive spot

point de rencontre meeting point

point de vente retail outlet

7. [douleur] twinge, sharp pain

MÉDECINE pressure point

j'ai un point au poumon I can feel a twinge (of pain) in my chest

point de côté stitch

8. [moment, stade] point, stage

à ce point de la discussion at this point in the discussion

les pourparlers en sont toujours au même point the negotiations haven't got any further

9. [degré] point

porter quelque chose à son plus haut point to carry something to extremes

si tu savais à quel point je te méprise! if you only knew how much I despise you!

il est radin, mais à un point! (familier) you wouldn't believe how tightfisted he is!

point de saturation (sens propre & figuré) saturation point

10. [élément - d'un texte, d'une théorie] point ; [ - d'un raisonnement] point, item ; [ - d'une description] feature, trait

le second point à l'ordre du jour the second item on the agenda

un programme social en trois points a three-point social programme

voici un point d'histoire que je souhaiterais éclaircir I'd like to make clear what happened at that particular point in history

point d'entente/de désaccord point of agreement/of disagreement

point commun common feature

nous n'avons aucun point commun we have nothing in common

un point de droit DROIT a point of law

11. [unité de valeur - dans un sondage, à la Bourse] point ; [ - de retraite] unit ; [ - du salaire de base] (grading) point

ÉDUCATION mark (UK), point

JEUX & SPORT point

sa cote de popularité a gagné/perdu trois points his popularity rating has gone up/down by three points

il me manquait 12 points pour avoir l'examen I was 12 marks short of passing the exam

battu aux points [en boxe] beaten on points

faire le point [le gagner] to win the point

bon point

a. ÉDUCATION [image] cardboard card or picture given to schoolchildren as a reward

b. [appréciation] mark (for good behaviour)

un bon point pour toi! (figuré & humoristique) good on (UK) ou for you!, you get a brownie point!

mauvais point ÉDUCATION black mark (against somebody's name)

un mauvais point pour toi! (figuré & humoristique) go to the back of the class!

marquer un point (sens propre & figuré) to score a point

12. COUTURE

faire un point à to put a stitch ou a few stitches in

bâtir à grands points to tack

point de couture/crochet/tricot sewing/crochet/knitting stitch

point de jersey stocking stitch

point mousse garter stitch

point de riz moss stitch

petit point: tapisserie au petit point petit point tapestry

13. INFORMATIQUE [unité graphique] dot

[emplacement]

point d'accès/de retour entry/reentry point

14. ART & JOAILLERIE point

————————

à ce point, à un tel point locution adverbiale

[tellement] so, that

ton travail est dur à ce point? is your job so (very) ou that hard?

j'en ai tellement assez que je vais démissionner — à ce point? I'm so fed up that I'm going to resign — that bad, is it?

————————

à ce point que, à (un) tel point que locution conjonctive

so much so that, to such a point that

les choses en étaient arrivées à un tel point que... things had reached such a pitch that...

elle est déprimée, à ce point qu'elle ne veut plus voir personne she's so depressed that she won't see anyone anymore

————————

à point locution adjectivale

[steak] medium

[rôti] done to a turn

[fromage] ripe, just right

[poire] just ou nicely ripe

ton bonhomme est à point, tu n'as plus qu'à enregistrer ses aveux (familier & figuré) your man's nice and ready now, all you've got to do is get the confession down on tape

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à point locution adverbiale

1. CUISINE

le gâteau est cuit à point the cake is cooked (through)

2. [au bon moment]

tomber à point

a. [personne] to come (just) at the right time

b. [arrivée, décision] to be very timely

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à point nommé locution adverbiale

arriver à point nommé to arrive (just) at the right moment ou when needed, to arrive in the nick of time

au plus haut point locution adverbiale

[énervé, généreux, irrespectueux] extremely, most

[méfiant] highly, extremely

je le respecte au plus haut point I have the utmost respect for him

je le déteste au plus haut point I can't tell you how much I hate him, I absolutely loathe him

elle m'inquiète au plus haut point I'm really worried about her

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au point locution adjectivale

PHOTOGRAPHIE in focus

[moteur] tuned

[machine] in perfect running order

[technique] perfected

[discours, plaidoyer] finalized

[spectacle, artiste] ready

ton revers n'est pas encore au point your backhand isn't good enough ou up to scratch yet

le son/l'image n'est pas au point the sound/the image isn't right

quand ma technique sera au point when I've perfected my technique

mon texte n'est pas encore au point I haven't finished my text yet

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au point locution adverbiale

mettre au point

a. [texte à imprimer] to edit

b. [discours, projet, rapport] to finalize, to put the finishing touches to

c. [spectacle] to perfect

d. [moteur] to tune

e. [appareil photo] to (bring into) focus

f. [affaire] to settle, to finalize

mettre les choses au point to put ou set the record straight

mettons les choses au point: je refuse de travailler le dimanche let's get this ou things straight: I refuse to work Sundays

après cette discussion, j'ai tenu à mettre les choses au point following that discussion, I insisted on putting ou setting the record straight

tu devrais mettre les choses au point avec lui you should sort things out between you

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au point de locution prépositionnelle

méticuleux au point d'en être agaçant meticulous to the point of being exasperating

il n'est pas stupide au point de le leur répéter he's not so stupid as to tell them

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au point du jour locution adverbiale

(littéraire) at dawn ou daybreak

au point où locution conjonctive

nous sommes arrivés au point où... we've reached the point ou stage where...

au point où j'en suis, autant que je continue having got this far, I might as well carry on

au point où en sont les choses as things stand, the way things are (now)

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au point que locution conjonctive

so much that, so... that

il était très effrayé, au point qu'il a essayé de se sauver he was so frightened that he tried to run away

point par point locution adverbiale

point by point

sur le point de locution prépositionnelle

être sur le point de faire quelque chose to be about to do ou on the point of doing ou on the verge of doing something

j'étais sur le point de partir I was about to ou going to leave

sur le point de pleurer on the verge of tears ou of crying

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point d'ancrage nom masculin

1. AUTOMOBILE seat-belt anchorage

2. (figuré) cornerstone

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point d'appui nom masculin

1. [d'un levier] fulcrum

2. MILITAIRE strongpoint

3. (figuré) [soutien] support

point de chute nom masculin

1. ARMEMENT point of impact

2. (figuré)

j'ai un point de chute à Milan I have somewhere to stay in Milan

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point culminant nom masculin

ASTRONOMIE zenith

GÉOGRAPHIE peak, summit, highest point, (figuré) acme, apex

quel est le point culminant des Alpes? what is the highest point ou peak in the Alps?

les investissements sont à leur point culminant investment has reached a peak

point de départ nom masculin

starting point

nous voilà revenus au point de départ (sens propre & figuré) now we're back where we started

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point faible nom masculin

weak spot

son point faible, c'est sa susceptibilité his touchiness is his weak spot ou point

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point fort nom masculin

[d'une personne, d'une entreprise] strong point

[d'un joueur de tennis] best shot

les maths n'ont jamais été mon point fort I was never any good at maths, maths was never my strong point

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point mort nom masculin

AUTOMOBILE

neutral

au point mort

a. AUTOMOBILE in neutral

b. (figuré) at a standstill

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point noir nom masculin

1. MÉDECINE blackhead

2. [difficulté] difficulty, headache (figuré)

un point noir de la circulation

a. [encombré] a heavily congested area

b. [dangereux] an accident blackspot

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point sensible nom masculin

1. [endroit douloureux] tender ou sore spot

2. MILITAIRE key ou strategic target

3. (figuré)

toucher un point sensible

a. [chez quelqu'un] to touch on a sore spot

b. [dans un problème] to touch on a sensitive area

Dictionnaire Français-Anglais > point

3 Historical Portugal

   Before Romans described western Iberia or Hispania as "Lusitania," ancient Iberians inhabited the land. Phoenician and Greek trading settlements grew up in the Tagus estuary area and nearby coasts. Beginning around 202 BCE, Romans invaded what is today southern Portugal. With Rome's defeat of Carthage, Romans proceeded to conquer and rule the western region north of the Tagus, which they named Roman "Lusitania." In the fourth century CE, as Rome's rule weakened, the area experienced yet another invasion—Germanic tribes, principally the Suevi, who eventually were Christianized. During the sixth century CE, the Suevi kingdom was superseded by yet another Germanic tribe—the Christian Visigoths.

   A major turning point in Portugal's history came in 711, as Muslim armies from North Africa, consisting of both Arab and Berber elements, invaded the Iberian Peninsula from across the Straits of Gibraltar. They entered what is now Portugal in 714, and proceeded to conquer most of the country except for the far north. For the next half a millennium, Islam and Muslim presence in Portugal left a significant mark upon the politics, government, language, and culture of the country.

   Islam, Reconquest, and Portugal Created, 714-1140

   The long frontier struggle between Muslim invaders and Christian communities in the north of the Iberian peninsula was called the Reconquista (Reconquest). It was during this struggle that the first dynasty of Portuguese kings (Burgundian) emerged and the independent monarchy of Portugal was established. Christian forces moved south from what is now the extreme north of Portugal and gradually defeated Muslim forces, besieging and capturing towns under Muslim sway. In the ninth century, as Christian forces slowly made their way southward, Christian elements were dominant only in the area between Minho province and the Douro River; this region became known as "territorium Portu-calense."

   In the 11th century, the advance of the Reconquest quickened as local Christian armies were reinforced by crusading knights from what is now France and England. Christian forces took Montemor (1034), at the Mondego River; Lamego (1058); Viseu (1058); and Coimbra (1064). In 1095, the king of Castile and Léon granted the country of "Portu-cale," what became northern Portugal, to a Burgundian count who had emigrated from France. This was the foundation of Portugal. In 1139, a descendant of this count, Afonso Henriques, proclaimed himself "King of Portugal." He was Portugal's first monarch, the "Founder," and the first of the Burgundian dynasty, which ruled until 1385.

   The emergence of Portugal in the 12th century as a separate monarchy in Iberia occurred before the Christian Reconquest of the peninsula. In the 1140s, the pope in Rome recognized Afonso Henriques as king of Portugal. In 1147, after a long, bloody siege, Muslim-occupied Lisbon fell to Afonso Henriques's army. Lisbon was the greatest prize of the 500-year war. Assisting this effort were English crusaders on their way to the Holy Land; the first bishop of Lisbon was an Englishman. When the Portuguese captured Faro and Silves in the Algarve province in 1248-50, the Reconquest of the extreme western portion of the Iberian peninsula was complete—significantly, more than two centuries before the Spanish crown completed the Reconquest of the eastern portion by capturing Granada in 1492.

   Consolidation and Independence of Burgundian Portugal, 1140-1385

   Two main themes of Portugal's early existence as a monarchy are the consolidation of control over the realm and the defeat of a Castil-ian threat from the east to its independence. At the end of this period came the birth of a new royal dynasty (Aviz), which prepared to carry the Christian Reconquest beyond continental Portugal across the straits of Gibraltar to North Africa. There was a variety of motives behind these developments. Portugal's independent existence was imperiled by threats from neighboring Iberian kingdoms to the north and east. Politics were dominated not only by efforts against the Muslims in

   Portugal (until 1250) and in nearby southern Spain (until 1492), but also by internecine warfare among the kingdoms of Castile, Léon, Aragon, and Portugal. A final comeback of Muslim forces was defeated at the battle of Salado (1340) by allied Castilian and Portuguese forces. In the emerging Kingdom of Portugal, the monarch gradually gained power over and neutralized the nobility and the Church.

   The historic and commonplace Portuguese saying "From Spain, neither a good wind nor a good marriage" was literally played out in diplomacy and war in the late 14th-century struggles for mastery in the peninsula. Larger, more populous Castile was pitted against smaller Portugal. Castile's Juan I intended to force a union between Castile and Portugal during this era of confusion and conflict. In late 1383, Portugal's King Fernando, the last king of the Burgundian dynasty, suddenly died prematurely at age 38, and the Master of Aviz, Portugal's most powerful nobleman, took up the cause of independence and resistance against Castile's invasion. The Master of Aviz, who became King João I of Portugal, was able to obtain foreign assistance. With the aid of English archers, Joao's armies defeated the Castilians in the crucial battle of Aljubarrota, on 14 August 1385, a victory that assured the independence of the Portuguese monarchy from its Castilian nemesis for several centuries.

   Aviz Dynasty and Portugal's First Overseas Empire, 1385-1580

   The results of the victory at Aljubarrota, much celebrated in Portugal's art and monuments, and the rise of the Aviz dynasty also helped to establish a new merchant class in Lisbon and Oporto, Portugal's second city. This group supported King João I's program of carrying the Reconquest to North Africa, since it was interested in expanding Portugal's foreign commerce and tapping into Muslim trade routes and resources in Africa. With the Reconquest against the Muslims completed in Portugal and the threat from Castile thwarted for the moment, the Aviz dynasty launched an era of overseas conquest, exploration, and trade. These efforts dominated Portugal's 15th and 16th centuries.

   The overseas empire and age of Discoveries began with Portugal's bold conquest in 1415 of the Moroccan city of Ceuta. One royal member of the 1415 expedition was young, 21-year-old Prince Henry, later known in history as "Prince Henry the Navigator." His part in the capture of Ceuta won Henry his knighthood and began Portugal's "Marvelous Century," during which the small kingdom was counted as a European and world power of consequence. Henry was the son of King João I and his English queen, Philippa of Lancaster, but he did not inherit the throne. Instead, he spent most of his life and his fortune, and that of the wealthy military Order of Christ, on various imperial ventures and on voyages of exploration down the African coast and into the Atlantic. While mythology has surrounded Henry's controversial role in the Discoveries, and this role has been exaggerated, there is no doubt that he played a vital part in the initiation of Portugal's first overseas empire and in encouraging exploration. He was naturally curious, had a sense of mission for Portugal, and was a strong leader. He also had wealth to expend; at least a third of the African voyages of the time were under his sponsorship. If Prince Henry himself knew little science, significant scientific advances in navigation were made in his day.

   What were Portugal's motives for this new imperial effort? The well-worn historical cliche of "God, Glory, and Gold" can only partly explain the motivation of a small kingdom with few natural resources and barely 1 million people, which was greatly outnumbered by the other powers it confronted. Among Portuguese objectives were the desire to exploit known North African trade routes and resources (gold, wheat, leather, weaponry, and other goods that were scarce in Iberia); the need to outflank the Muslim world in the Mediterranean by sailing around Africa, attacking Muslims en route; and the wish to ally with Christian kingdoms beyond Africa. This enterprise also involved a strategy of breaking the Venetian spice monopoly by trading directly with the East by means of discovering and exploiting a sea route around Africa to Asia. Besides the commercial motives, Portugal nurtured a strong crusading sense of Christian mission, and various classes in the kingdom saw an opportunity for fame and gain.

   By the time of Prince Henry's death in 1460, Portugal had gained control of the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeiras, begun to colonize the Cape Verde Islands, failed to conquer the Canary Islands from Castile, captured various cities on Morocco's coast, and explored as far as Senegal, West Africa, down the African coast. By 1488, Bar-tolomeu Dias had rounded the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa and thereby discovered the way to the Indian Ocean.

   Portugal's largely coastal African empire and later its fragile Asian empire brought unexpected wealth but were purchased at a high price. Costs included wars of conquest and defense against rival powers, manning the far-flung navel and trade fleets and scattered castle-fortresses, and staffing its small but fierce armies, all of which entailed a loss of skills and population to maintain a scattered empire. Always short of capital, the monarchy became indebted to bankers. There were many defeats beginning in the 16th century at the hands of the larger imperial European monarchies (Spain, France, England, and Holland) and many attacks on Portugal and its strung-out empire. Typically, there was also the conflict that arose when a tenuously held world empire that rarely if ever paid its way demanded finance and manpower Portugal itself lacked.

   The first 80 years of the glorious imperial era, the golden age of Portugal's imperial power and world influence, was an African phase. During 1415-88, Portuguese navigators and explorers in small ships, some of them caravelas (caravels), explored the treacherous, disease-ridden coasts of Africa from Morocco to South Africa beyond the Cape of Good Hope. By the 1470s, the Portuguese had reached the Gulf of Guinea and, in the early 1480s, what is now Angola. Bartolomeu Dias's extraordinary voyage of 1487-88 to South Africa's coast and the edge of the Indian Ocean convinced Portugal that the best route to Asia's spices and Christians lay south, around the tip of southern Africa. Between 1488 and 1495, there was a hiatus caused in part by domestic conflict in Portugal, discussion of resources available for further conquests beyond Africa in Asia, and serious questions as to Portugal's capacity to reach beyond Africa. In 1495, King Manuel and his council decided to strike for Asia, whatever the consequences. In 1497-99, Vasco da Gama, under royal orders, made the epic two-year voyage that discovered the sea route to western India (Asia), outflanked Islam and Venice, and began Portugal's Asian empire. Within 50 years, Portugal had discovered and begun the exploitation of its largest colony, Brazil, and set up forts and trading posts from the Middle East (Aden and Ormuz), India (Calicut, Goa, etc.), Malacca, and Indonesia to Macau in China.

   By the 1550s, parts of its largely coastal, maritime trading post empire from Morocco to the Moluccas were under siege from various hostile forces, including Muslims, Christians, and Hindi. Although Moroccan forces expelled the Portuguese from the major coastal cities by 1550, the rival European monarchies of Castile (Spain), England, France, and later Holland began to seize portions of her undermanned, outgunned maritime empire.

   In 1580, Phillip II of Spain, whose mother was a Portuguese princess and who had a strong claim to the Portuguese throne, invaded Portugal, claimed the throne, and assumed control over the realm and, by extension, its African, Asian, and American empires. Phillip II filled the power vacuum that appeared in Portugal following the loss of most of Portugal's army and its young, headstrong King Sebastião in a disastrous war in Morocco. Sebastiao's death in battle (1578) and the lack of a natural heir to succeed him, as well as the weak leadership of the cardinal who briefly assumed control in Lisbon, led to a crisis that Spain's strong monarch exploited. As a result, Portugal lost its independence to Spain for a period of 60 years.

   Portugal under Spanish Rule, 1580-1640

   Despite the disastrous nature of Portugal's experience under Spanish rule, "The Babylonian Captivity" gave birth to modern Portuguese nationalism, its second overseas empire, and its modern alliance system with England. Although Spain allowed Portugal's weakened empire some autonomy, Spanish rule in Portugal became increasingly burdensome and unacceptable. Spain's ambitious imperial efforts in Europe and overseas had an impact on the Portuguese as Spain made greater and greater demands on its smaller neighbor for manpower and money. Portugal's culture underwent a controversial Castilianization, while its empire became hostage to Spain's fortunes. New rival powers England, France, and Holland attacked and took parts of Spain's empire and at the same time attacked Portugal's empire, as well as the mother country.

   Portugal's empire bore the consequences of being attacked by Spain's bitter enemies in what was a form of world war. Portuguese losses were heavy. By 1640, Portugal had lost most of its Moroccan cities as well as Ceylon, the Moluccas, and sections of India. With this, Portugal's Asian empire was gravely weakened. Only Goa, Damão, Diu, Bombay, Timor, and Macau remained and, in Brazil, Dutch forces occupied the northeast.

   On 1 December 1640, long commemorated as a national holiday, Portuguese rebels led by the duke of Braganza overthrew Spanish domination and took advantage of Spanish weakness following a more serious rebellion in Catalonia. Portugal regained independence from Spain, but at a price: dependence on foreign assistance to maintain its independence in the form of the renewal of the alliance with England.

   Restoration and Second Empire, 1640-1822

   Foreign affairs and empire dominated the restoration era and aftermath, and Portugal again briefly enjoyed greater European power and prestige. The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance was renewed and strengthened in treaties of 1642, 1654, and 1661, and Portugal's independence from Spain was underwritten by English pledges and armed assistance. In a Luso-Spanish treaty of 1668, Spain recognized Portugal's independence. Portugal's alliance with England was a marriage of convenience and necessity between two monarchies with important religious, cultural, and social differences. In return for legal, diplomatic, and trade privileges, as well as the use during war and peace of Portugal's great Lisbon harbor and colonial ports for England's navy, England pledged to protect Portugal and its scattered empire from any attack. The previously cited 17th-century alliance treaties were renewed later in the Treaty of Windsor, signed in London in 1899. On at least 10 different occasions after 1640, and during the next two centuries, England was central in helping prevent or repel foreign invasions of its ally, Portugal.

   Portugal's second empire (1640-1822) was largely Brazil-oriented. Portuguese colonization, exploitation of wealth, and emigration focused on Portuguese America, and imperial revenues came chiefly from Brazil. Between 1670 and 1740, Portugal's royalty and nobility grew wealthier on funds derived from Brazilian gold, diamonds, sugar, tobacco, and other crops, an enterprise supported by the Atlantic slave trade and the supply of African slave labor from West Africa and Angola. Visitors today can see where much of that wealth was invested: Portugal's rich legacy of monumental architecture. Meanwhile, the African slave trade took a toll in Angola and West Africa.

   In continental Portugal, absolutist monarchy dominated politics and government, and there was a struggle for position and power between the monarchy and other institutions, such as the Church and nobility. King José I's chief minister, usually known in history as the marquis of Pombal (ruled 1750-77), sharply suppressed the nobility and the

   Church (including the Inquisition, now a weak institution) and expelled the Jesuits. Pombal also made an effort to reduce economic dependence on England, Portugal's oldest ally. But his successes did not last much beyond his disputed time in office.

   Beginning in the late 18th century, the European-wide impact of the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon placed Portugal in a vulnerable position. With the monarchy ineffectively led by an insane queen (Maria I) and her indecisive regent son (João VI), Portugal again became the focus of foreign ambition and aggression. With England unable to provide decisive assistance in time, France—with Spain's consent—invaded Portugal in 1807. As Napoleon's army under General Junot entered Lisbon meeting no resistance, Portugal's royal family fled on a British fleet to Brazil, where it remained in exile until 1821. In the meantime, Portugal's overseas empire was again under threat. There was a power vacuum as the monarch was absent, foreign armies were present, and new political notions of liberalism and constitutional monarchy were exciting various groups of citizens.

   Again England came to the rescue, this time in the form of the armies of the duke of Wellington. Three successive French invasions of Portugal were defeated and expelled, and Wellington succeeded in carrying the war against Napoleon across the Portuguese frontier into Spain. The presence of the English army, the new French-born liberal ideas, and the political vacuum combined to create revolutionary conditions. The French invasions and the peninsular wars, where Portuguese armed forces played a key role, marked the beginning of a new era in politics.

   Liberalism and Constitutional Monarchy, 1822-1910

   During 1807-22, foreign invasions, war, and civil strife over conflicting political ideas gravely damaged Portugal's commerce, economy, and novice industry. The next terrible blow was the loss of Brazil in 1822, the jewel in the imperial crown. Portugal's very independence seemed to be at risk. In vain, Portugal sought to resist Brazilian independence by force, but in 1825 it formally acknowledged Brazilian independence by treaty.

   Portugal's slow recovery from the destructive French invasions and the "war of independence" was complicated by civil strife over the form of constitutional monarchy that best suited Portugal. After struggles over these issues between 1820 and 1834, Portugal settled somewhat uncertainly into a moderate constitutional monarchy whose constitution (Charter of 1826) lent it strong political powers to exert a moderating influence between the executive and legislative branches of the government. It also featured a new upper middle class based on land ownership and commerce; a Catholic Church that, although still important, lived with reduced privileges and property; a largely African (third) empire to which Lisbon and Oporto devoted increasing spiritual and material resources, starting with the liberal imperial plans of 1836 and 1851, and continuing with the work of institutions like the Lisbon Society of Geography (established 1875); and a mass of rural peasants whose bonds to the land weakened after 1850 and who began to immigrate in increasing numbers to Brazil and North America.

   Chronic military intervention in national politics began in 19th-century Portugal. Such intervention, usually commencing with coups or pronunciamentos (military revolts), was a shortcut to the spoils of political office and could reflect popular discontent as well as the power of personalities. An early example of this was the 1817 golpe (coup) attempt of General Gomes Freire against British military rule in Portugal before the return of King João VI from Brazil. Except for a more stable period from 1851 to 1880, military intervention in politics, or the threat thereof, became a feature of the constitutional monarchy's political life, and it continued into the First Republic and the subsequent Estado Novo.

   Beginning with the Regeneration period (1851-80), Portugal experienced greater political stability and economic progress. Military intervention in politics virtually ceased; industrialization and construction of railroads, roads, and bridges proceeded; two political parties (Regenerators and Historicals) worked out a system of rotation in power; and leading intellectuals sparked a cultural revival in several fields. In 19th-century literature, there was a new golden age led by such figures as Alexandre Herculano (historian), Eça de Queirós (novelist), Almeida Garrett (playwright and essayist), Antero de Quental (poet), and Joaquim Oliveira Martins (historian and social scientist). In its third overseas empire, Portugal attempted to replace the slave trade and slavery with legitimate economic activities; to reform the administration; and to expand Portuguese holdings beyond coastal footholds deep into the African hinterlands in West, West Central, and East Africa. After 1841, to some extent, and especially after 1870, colonial affairs, combined with intense nationalism, pressures for economic profit in Africa, sentiment for national revival, and the drift of European affairs would make or break Lisbon governments.

   Beginning with the political crisis that arose out of the "English Ultimatum" affair of January 1890, the monarchy became discredtted and identified with the poorly functioning government, political parties splintered, and republicanism found more supporters. Portugal participated in the "Scramble for Africa," expanding its African holdings, but failed to annex territory connecting Angola and Mozambique. A growing foreign debt and state bankruptcy as of the early 1890s damaged the constitutional monarchy's reputation, despite the efforts of King Carlos in diplomacy, the renewal of the alliance in the Windsor Treaty of 1899, and the successful if bloody colonial wars in the empire (1880-97). Republicanism proclaimed that Portugal's weak economy and poor society were due to two historic institutions: the monarchy and the Catholic Church. A republic, its stalwarts claimed, would bring greater individual liberty; efficient, if more decentralized government; and a stronger colonial program while stripping the Church of its role in both society and education.

   As the monarchy lost support and republicans became more aggressive, violence increased in politics. King Carlos I and his heir Luís were murdered in Lisbon by anarchist-republicans on 1 February 1908. Following a military and civil insurrection and fighting between monarchist and republican forces, on 5 October 1910, King Manuel II fled Portugal and a republic was proclaimed.

   First Parliamentary Republic, 1910-26

   Portugal's first attempt at republican government was the most unstable, turbulent parliamentary republic in the history of 20th-century Western Europe. During a little under 16 years of the republic, there were 45 governments, a number of legislatures that did not complete normal terms, military coups, and only one president who completed his four-year term in office. Portuguese society was poorly prepared for this political experiment. Among the deadly legacies of the monarchy were a huge public debt; a largely rural, apolitical, and illiterate peasant population; conflict over the causes of the country's misfortunes; and lack of experience with a pluralist, democratic system.

   The republic had some talented leadership but lacked popular, institutional, and economic support. The 1911 republican constitution established only a limited democracy, as only a small portion of the adult male citizenry was eligible to vote. In a country where the majority was Catholic, the republic passed harshly anticlerical laws, and its institutions and supporters persecuted both the Church and its adherents. During its brief disjointed life, the First Republic drafted important reform plans in economic, social, and educational affairs; actively promoted development in the empire; and pursued a liberal, generous foreign policy. Following British requests for Portugal's assistance in World War I, Portugal entered the war on the Allied side in March 1916 and sent armies to Flanders and Portuguese Africa. Portugal's intervention in that conflict, however, was too costly in many respects, and the ultimate failure of the republic in part may be ascribed to Portugal's World War I activities.

   Unfortunately for the republic, its time coincided with new threats to Portugal's African possessions: World War I, social and political demands from various classes that could not be reconciled, excessive military intervention in politics, and, in particular, the worst economic and financial crisis Portugal had experienced since the 16th and 17th centuries. After the original Portuguese Republican Party (PRP, also known as the "Democrats") splintered into three warring groups in 1912, no true multiparty system emerged. The Democrats, except for only one or two elections, held an iron monopoly of electoral power, and political corruption became a major issue. As extreme right-wing dictatorships elsewhere in Europe began to take power in Italy (1922), neighboring Spain (1923), and Greece (1925), what scant popular support remained for the republic collapsed. Backed by a right-wing coalition of landowners from Alentejo, clergy, Coimbra University faculty and students, Catholic organizations, and big business, career military officers led by General Gomes da Costa executed a coup on 28 May 1926, turned out the last republican government, and established a military government.

   The Estado Novo (New State), 1926-74

   During the military phase (1926-32) of the Estado Novo, professional military officers, largely from the army, governed and administered Portugal and held key cabinet posts, but soon discovered that the military possessed no magic formula that could readily solve the problems inherited from the First Republic. Especially during the years 1926-31, the military dictatorship, even with its political repression of republican activities and institutions (military censorship of the press, political police action, and closure of the republic's rowdy parliament), was characterized by similar weaknesses: personalism and factionalism; military coups and political instability, including civil strife and loss of life; state debt and bankruptcy; and a weak economy. "Barracks parliamentarism" was not an acceptable alternative even to the "Nightmare Republic."

   Led by General Óscar Carmona, who had replaced and sent into exile General Gomes da Costa, the military dictatorship turned to a civilian expert in finance and economics to break the budget impasse and bring coherence to the disorganized system. Appointed minister of finance on 27 April 1928, the Coimbra University Law School professor of economics Antônio de Oliveira Salazar (1889-1970) first reformed finance, helped balance the budget, and then turned to other concerns as he garnered extraordinary governing powers. In 1930, he was appointed interim head of another key ministry (Colonies) and within a few years had become, in effect, a civilian dictator who, with the military hierarchy's support, provided the government with coherence, a program, and a set of policies.

   For nearly 40 years after he was appointed the first civilian prime minister in 1932, Salazar's personality dominated the government. Unlike extreme right-wing dictators elsewhere in Europe, Salazar was directly appointed by the army but was never endorsed by a popular political party, street militia, or voter base. The scholarly, reclusive former Coimbra University professor built up what became known after 1932 as the Estado Novo ("New State"), which at the time of its overthrow by another military coup in 1974, was the longest surviving authoritarian regime in Western Europe. The system of Salazar and the largely academic and technocratic ruling group he gathered in his cabinets was based on the central bureaucracy of the state, which was supported by the president of the republic—always a senior career military officer, General Óscar Carmona (1928-51), General Craveiro Lopes (1951-58), and Admiral Américo Tómaz (1958-74)—and the complicity of various institutions. These included a rubber-stamp legislature called the National Assembly (1935-74) and a political police known under various names: PVDE (1932-45), PIDE (1945-69),

   and DGS (1969-74). Other defenders of the Estado Novo security were paramilitary organizations such as the National Republican Guard (GNR); the Portuguese Legion (PL); and the Portuguese Youth [Movement]. In addition to censorship of the media, theater, and books, there was political repression and a deliberate policy of depoliticization. All political parties except for the approved movement of regime loyalists, the União Nacional or (National Union), were banned.

   The most vigorous and more popular period of the New State was 1932-44, when the basic structures were established. Never monolithic or entirely the work of one person (Salazar), the New State was constructed with the assistance of several dozen top associates who were mainly academics from law schools, some technocrats with specialized skills, and a handful of trusted career military officers. The 1933 Constitution declared Portugal to be a "unitary, corporative Republic," and pressures to restore the monarchy were resisted. Although some of the regime's followers were fascists and pseudofascists, many more were conservative Catholics, integralists, nationalists, and monarchists of different varieties, and even some reactionary republicans. If the New State was authoritarian, it was not totalitarian and, unlike fascism in Benito Mussolini's Italy or Adolf Hitler's Germany, it usually employed the minimum of violence necessary to defeat what remained a largely fractious, incoherent opposition.

   With the tumultuous Second Republic and the subsequent civil war in nearby Spain, the regime felt threatened and reinforced its defenses. During what Salazar rightly perceived as a time of foreign policy crisis for Portugal (1936-45), he assumed control of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From there, he pursued four basic foreign policy objectives: supporting the Nationalist rebels of General Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War (1936-39) and concluding defense treaties with a triumphant Franco; ensuring that General Franco in an exhausted Spain did not enter World War II on the Axis side; maintaining Portuguese neutrality in World War II with a post-1942 tilt toward the Allies, including granting Britain and the United States use of bases in the Azores Islands; and preserving and protecting Portugal's Atlantic Islands and its extensive, if poor, overseas empire in Africa and Asia.

   During the middle years of the New State (1944-58), many key Salazar associates in government either died or resigned, and there was greater social unrest in the form of unprecedented strikes and clandestine Communist activities, intensified opposition, and new threatening international pressures on Portugal's overseas empire. During the earlier phase of the Cold War (1947-60), Portugal became a steadfast, if weak, member of the US-dominated North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance and, in 1955, with American support, Portugal joined the United Nations (UN). Colonial affairs remained a central concern of the regime. As of 1939, Portugal was the third largest colonial power in the world and possessed territories in tropical Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe Islands) and the remnants of its 16th-century empire in Asia (Goa, Damão, Diu, East Timor, and Macau). Beginning in the early 1950s, following the independence of India in 1947, Portugal resisted Indian pressures to decolonize Portuguese India and used police forces to discourage internal opposition in its Asian and African colonies.

   The later years of the New State (1958-68) witnessed the aging of the increasingly isolated but feared Salazar and new threats both at home and overseas. Although the regime easily overcame the brief oppositionist threat from rival presidential candidate General Humberto Delgado in the spring of 1958, new developments in the African and Asian empires imperiled the authoritarian system. In February 1961, oppositionists hijacked the Portuguese ocean liner Santa Maria and, in following weeks, African insurgents in northern Angola, although they failed to expel the Portuguese, gained worldwide media attention, discredited the New State, and began the 13-year colonial war. After thwarting a dissident military coup against his continued leadership, Salazar and his ruling group mobilized military repression in Angola and attempted to develop the African colonies at a faster pace in order to ensure Portuguese control. Meanwhile, the other European colonial powers (Britain, France, Belgium, and Spain) rapidly granted political independence to their African territories.

   At the time of Salazar's removal from power in September 1968, following a stroke, Portugal's efforts to maintain control over its colonies appeared to be successful. President Americo Tomás appointed Dr. Marcello Caetano as Salazar's successor as prime minister. While maintaining the New State's basic structures, and continuing the regime's essential colonial policy, Caetano attempted wider reforms in colonial administration and some devolution of power from Lisbon, as well as more freedom of expression in Lisbon. Still, a great deal of the budget was devoted to supporting the wars against the insurgencies in Africa. Meanwhile in Asia, Portuguese India had fallen when the Indian army invaded in December 1961. The loss of Goa was a psychological blow to the leadership of the New State, and of the Asian empire only East Timor and Macau remained.

   The Caetano years (1968-74) were but a hiatus between the waning Salazar era and a new regime. There was greater political freedom and rapid economic growth (5-6 percent annually to late 1973), but Caetano's government was unable to reform the old system thoroughly and refused to consider new methods either at home or in the empire. In the end, regime change came from junior officers of the professional military who organized the Armed Forces Movement (MFA) against the Caetano government. It was this group of several hundred officers, mainly in the army and navy, which engineered a largely bloodless coup in Lisbon on 25 April 1974. Their unexpected action brought down the 48-year-old New State and made possible the eventual establishment and consolidation of democratic governance in Portugal, as well as a reorientation of the country away from the Atlantic toward Europe.

   Revolution of Carnations, 1974-76

   Following successful military operations of the Armed Forces Movement against the Caetano government, Portugal experienced what became known as the "Revolution of Carnations." It so happened that during the rainy week of the military golpe, Lisbon flower shops were featuring carnations, and the revolutionaries and their supporters adopted the red carnation as the common symbol of the event, as well as of the new freedom from dictatorship. The MFA, whose leaders at first were mostly little-known majors and captains, proclaimed a three-fold program of change for the new Portugal: democracy; decolonization of the overseas empire, after ending the colonial wars; and developing a backward economy in the spirit of opportunity and equality. During the first 24 months after the coup, there was civil strife, some anarchy, and a power struggle. With the passing of the Estado Novo, public euphoria burst forth as the new provisional military government proclaimed the freedoms of speech, press, and assembly, and abolished censorship, the political police, the Portuguese Legion, Portuguese Youth, and other New State organizations, including the National Union. Scores of political parties were born and joined the senior political party, the Portuguese Community Party (PCP), and the Socialist Party (PS), founded shortly before the coup.

   Portugal's Revolution of Carnations went through several phases. There was an attempt to take control by radical leftists, including the PCP and its allies. This was thwarted by moderate officers in the army, as well as by the efforts of two political parties: the PS and the Social Democrats (PPD, later PSD). The first phase was from April to September 1974. Provisional president General Antonio Spínola, whose 1974 book Portugal and the Future had helped prepare public opinion for the coup, met irresistible leftist pressures. After Spinola's efforts to avoid rapid decolonization of the African empire failed, he resigned in September 1974. During the second phase, from September 1974 to March 1975, radical military officers gained control, but a coup attempt by General Spínola and his supporters in Lisbon in March 1975 failed and Spínola fled to Spain.

   In the third phase of the Revolution, March-November 1975, a strong leftist reaction followed. Farm workers occupied and "nationalized" 1.1 million hectares of farmland in the Alentejo province, and radical military officers in the provisional government ordered the nationalization of Portuguese banks (foreign banks were exempted), utilities, and major industries, or about 60 percent of the economic system. There were power struggles among various political parties — a total of 50 emerged—and in the streets there was civil strife among labor, military, and law enforcement groups. A constituent assembly, elected on 25 April 1975, in Portugal's first free elections since 1926, drafted a democratic constitution. The Council of the Revolution (CR), briefly a revolutionary military watchdog committee, was entrenched as part of the government under the constitution, until a later revision. During the chaotic year of 1975, about 30 persons were killed in political frays while unstable provisional governments came and went. On 25 November 1975, moderate military forces led by Colonel Ramalho Eanes, who later was twice elected president of the republic (1976 and 1981), defeated radical, leftist military groups' revolutionary conspiracies.

   In the meantime, Portugal's scattered overseas empire experienced a precipitous and unprepared decolonization. One by one, the former colonies were granted and accepted independence—Guinea-Bissau (September 1974), Cape Verde Islands (July 1975), and Mozambique (July 1975). Portugal offered to turn over Macau to the People's Republic of China, but the offer was refused then and later negotiations led to the establishment of a formal decolonization or hand-over date of 1999. But in two former colonies, the process of decolonization had tragic results.

   In Angola, decolonization negotiations were greatly complicated by the fact that there were three rival nationalist movements in a struggle for power. The January 1975 Alvor Agreement signed by Portugal and these three parties was not effectively implemented. A bloody civil war broke out in Angola in the spring of 1975 and, when Portuguese armed forces withdrew and declared that Angola was independent on 11 November 1975, the bloodshed only increased. Meanwhile, most of the white Portuguese settlers from Angola and Mozambique fled during the course of 1975. Together with African refugees, more than 600,000 of these retornados ("returned ones") went by ship and air to Portugal and thousands more to Namibia, South Africa, Brazil, Canada, and the United States.

   The second major decolonization disaster was in Portugal's colony of East Timor in the Indonesian archipelago. Portugal's capacity to supervise and control a peaceful transition to independence in this isolated, neglected colony was limited by the strength of giant Indonesia, distance from Lisbon, and Portugal's revolutionary disorder and inability to defend Timor. In early December 1975, before Portugal granted formal independence and as one party, FRETILIN, unilaterally declared East Timor's independence, Indonesia's armed forces invaded, conquered, and annexed East Timor. Indonesian occupation encountered East Timorese resistance, and a heavy loss of life followed. The East Timor question remained a contentious international issue in the UN, as well as in Lisbon and Jakarta, for more than 20 years following Indonesia's invasion and annexation of the former colony of Portugal. Major changes occurred, beginning in 1998, after Indonesia underwent a political revolution and allowed a referendum in East Timor to decide that territory's political future in August 1999. Most East Timorese chose independence, but Indonesian forces resisted that verdict until

   UN intervention in September 1999. Following UN rule for several years, East Timor attained full independence on 20 May 2002.

   Consolidation of Democracy, 1976-2000

   After several free elections and record voter turnouts between 25 April 1975 and June 1976, civil war was averted and Portugal's second democratic republic began to stabilize. The MFA was dissolved, the military were returned to the barracks, and increasingly elected civilians took over the government of the country. The 1976 Constitution was revised several times beginning in 1982 and 1989, in order to reempha-size the principle of free enterprise in the economy while much of the large, nationalized sector was privatized. In June 1976, General Ram-alho Eanes was elected the first constitutional president of the republic (five-year term), and he appointed socialist leader Dr. Mário Soares as prime minister of the first constitutional government.

   From 1976 to 1985, Portugal's new system featured a weak economy and finances, labor unrest, and administrative and political instability. The difficult consolidation of democratic governance was eased in part by the strong currency and gold reserves inherited from the Estado Novo, but Lisbon seemed unable to cope with high unemployment, new debt, the complex impact of the refugees from Africa, world recession, and the agitation of political parties. Four major parties emerged from the maelstrom of 1974-75, except for the Communist Party, all newly founded. They were, from left to right, the Communists (PCP); the Socialists (PS), who managed to dominate governments and the legislature but not win a majority in the Assembly of the Republic; the Social Democrats (PSD); and the Christian Democrats (CDS). During this period, the annual growth rate was low (l-2 percent), and the nationalized sector of the economy stagnated.

   Enhanced economic growth, greater political stability, and more effective central government as of 1985, and especially 1987, were due to several developments. In 1977, Portugal applied for membership in the European Economic Community (EEC), now the European Union (EU) since 1993. In January 1986, with Spain, Portugal was granted membership, and economic and financial progress in the intervening years has been significantly influenced by the comparatively large investment, loans, technology, advice, and other assistance from the EEC. Low unemployment, high annual growth rates (5 percent), and moderate inflation have also been induced by the new political and administrative stability in Lisbon. Led by Prime Minister Cavaco Silva, an economist who was trained abroad, the PSD's strong organization, management, and electoral support since 1985 have assisted in encouraging economic recovery and development. In 1985, the PSD turned the PS out of office and won the general election, although they did not have an absolute majority of assembly seats. In 1986, Mário Soares was elected president of the republic, the first civilian to hold that office since the First Republic. In the elections of 1987 and 1991, however, the PSD was returned to power with clear majorities of over 50 percent of the vote.

   Although the PSD received 50.4 percent of the vote in the 1991 parliamentary elections and held a 42-seat majority in the Assembly of the Republic, the party began to lose public support following media revelations regarding corruption and complaints about Prime Minister Cavaco Silva's perceived arrogant leadership style. President Mário Soares voiced criticism of the PSD's seemingly untouchable majority and described a "tyranny of the majority." Economic growth slowed down. In the parliamentary elections of 1995 and the presidential election of 1996, the PSD's dominance ended for the time being. Prime Minister Antônio Guterres came to office when the PS won the October 1995 elections, and in the subsequent presidential contest, in January 1996, socialist Jorge Sampaio, the former mayor of Lisbon, was elected president of the republic, thus defeating Cavaco Silva's bid. Young and popular, Guterres moved the PS toward the center of the political spectrum. Under Guterres, the PS won the October 1999 parliamentary elections. The PS defeated the PSD but did not manage to win a clear, working majority of seats, and this made the PS dependent upon alliances with smaller parties, including the PCP.

   In the local elections in December 2001, the PSD's criticism of PS's heavy public spending allowed the PSD to take control of the key cities of Lisbon, Oporto, and Coimbra. Guterres resigned, and parliamentary elections were brought forward from 2004 to March 2002. The PSD won a narrow victory with 40 percent of the votes, and Jose Durão Barroso became prime minister. Having failed to win a majority of the seats in parliament forced the PSD to govern in coalition with the right-wing Popular Party (PP) led by Paulo Portas. Durão Barroso set about reducing government spending by cutting the budgets of local authorities, freezing civil service hiring, and reviving the economy by accelerating privatization of state-owned enterprises. These measures provoked a 24-hour strike by public-sector workers. Durão Barroso reacted with vows to press ahead with budget-cutting measures and imposed a wage freeze on all employees earning more than €1,000, which affected more than one-half of Portugal's work force.

   In June 2004, Durão Barroso was invited by Romano Prodi to succeed him as president of the European Commission. Durão Barroso accepted and resigned the prime ministership in July. Pedro Santana Lopes, the leader of the PSD, became prime minister. Already unpopular at the time of Durão Barroso's resignation, the PSD-led government became increasingly unpopular under Santana Lopes. A month-long delay in the start of the school year and confusion over his plan to cut taxes and raise public-sector salaries, eroded confidence even more. By November, Santana Lopes's government was so unpopular that President Jorge Sampaio was obliged to dissolve parliament and hold new elections, two years ahead of schedule.

   Parliamentary elections were held on 20 February 2005. The PS, which had promised the electorate disciplined and transparent governance, educational reform, the alleviation of poverty, and a boost in employment, won 45 percent of the vote and the majority of the seats in parliament. The leader of the PS, José Sôcrates became prime minister on 12 March 2005. In the regularly scheduled presidential elections held on 6 January 2006, the former leader of the PSD and prime minister, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, won a narrow victory and became president on 9 March 2006. With a mass protest, public teachers' strike, and street demonstrations in March 2008, Portugal's media, educational, and social systems experienced more severe pressures. With the spreading global recession beginning in September 2008, Portugal's economic and financial systems became more troubled.

    Contemporary Portugal

   Owing to its geographic location on the southwestern most edge of continental Europe, Portugal has been historically in but not of Europe. Almost from the beginning of its existence in the 12th century as an independent monarchy, Portugal turned its back on Europe and oriented itself toward the Atlantic Ocean. After carving out a Christian kingdom on the western portion of the Iberian peninsula, Portuguese kings gradually built and maintained a vast seaborne global empire that became central to the way Portugal understood its individuality as a nation-state. While the creation of this empire allows Portugal to claim an unusual number of "firsts" or distinctions in world and Western history, it also retarded Portugal's economic, social, and political development. It can be reasonably argued that the Revolution of 25 April 1974 was the most decisive event in Portugal's long history because it finally ended Portugal's oceanic mission and view of itself as an imperial power. After the 1974 Revolution, Portugal turned away from its global mission and vigorously reoriented itself toward Europe. Contemporary Portugal is now both in and of Europe.

   The turn toward Europe began immediately after 25 April 1974. Portugal granted independence to its African colonies in 1975. It was admitted to the European Council and took the first steps toward accession to the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1976. On 28 March 1977, the Portuguese government officially applied for EEC membership. Because of Portugal's economic and social backwardness, which would require vast sums of EEC money to overcome, negotiations for membership were long and difficult. Finally, a treaty of accession was signed on 12 June 1985. Portugal officially joined the EEC (the European Union [EU] since 1993) on 1 January 1986. Since becoming a full-fledged member of the EU, Portugal has been steadily overcoming the economic and social underdevelopment caused by its imperial past and is becoming more like the rest of Europe.

   Membership in the EU has speeded up the structural transformation of Portugal's economy, which actually began during the Estado Novo. Investments made by the Estado Novo in Portugal's economy began to shift employment out of the agricultural sector, which, in 1950, accounted for 50 percent of Portugal's economically active population. Today, only 10 percent of the economically active population is employed in the agricultural sector (the highest among EU member states); 30 percent in the industrial sector (also the highest among EU member states); and 60 percent in the service sector (the lowest among EU member states). The economically active population numbers about 5,000,000 employed, 56 percent of whom are women. Women workers are the majority of the workforce in the agricultural and service sectors (the highest among the EU member states). The expansion of the service sector has been primarily in health care and education. Portugal has had the lowest unemployment rates among EU member states, with the overall rate never being more than 10 percent of the active population. Since joining the EU, the number of employers increased from 2.6 percent to 5.8 percent of the active population; self-employed from 16 to 19 percent; and employees from 65 to 70 percent. Twenty-six percent of the employers are women. Unemployment tends to hit younger workers in industry and transportation, women employed in domestic service, workers on short-term contracts, and poorly educated workers. Salaried workers earn only 63 percent of the EU average, and hourly workers only one-third to one-half of that earned by their EU counterparts. Despite having had the second highest growth of gross national product (GNP) per inhabitant (after Ireland) among EU member states, the above data suggest that while much has been accomplished in terms of modernizing the Portuguese economy, much remains to be done to bring Portugal's economy up to the level of the "average" EU member state.

   Membership in the EU has also speeded up changes in Portuguese society. Over the last 30 years, coastalization and urbanization have intensified. Fully 50 percent of Portuguese live in the coastal urban conurbations of Lisbon, Oporto, Braga, Aveiro, Coimbra, Viseu, Évora, and Faro. The Portuguese population is one of the oldest among EU member states (17.3 percent are 65 years of age or older) thanks to a considerable increase in life expectancy at birth (77.87 years for the total population, 74.6 years for men, 81.36 years for women) and one of the lowest birthrates (10.59 births/1,000) in Europe. Family size averages 2.8 persons per household, with the strict nuclear family (one or two generations) in which both parents work being typical. Common law marriages, cohabitating couples, and single-parent households are more and more common. The divorce rate has also increased. "Youth Culture" has developed. The young have their own meeting places, leisure-time activities, and nightlife (bars, clubs, and discos).

   All Portuguese citizens, whether they have contributed or not, have a right to an old-age pension, invalidity benefits, widowed persons' pension, as well as payments for disabilities, children, unemployment, and large families. There is a national minimum wage (€385 per month), which is low by EU standards. The rapid aging of Portugal's population has changed the ratio of contributors to pensioners to 1.7, the lowest in the EU. This has created deficits in Portugal's social security fund.

   The adult literacy rate is about 92 percent. Illiteracy is still found among the elderly. Although universal compulsory education up to grade 9 was achieved in 1980, only 21.2 percent of the population aged 25-64 had undergone secondary education, compared to an EU average of 65.7 percent. Portugal's higher education system currently consists of 14 state universities and 14 private universities, 15 state polytechnic institutions, one Catholic university, and one military academy. All in all, Portugal spends a greater percentage of its state budget on education than most EU member states. Despite this high level of expenditure, the troubled Portuguese education system does not perform well. Early leaving and repetition rates are among the highest among EU member states.

   After the Revolution of 25 April 1974, Portugal created a National Health Service, which today consists of 221 hospitals and 512 medical centers employing 33,751 doctors and 41,799 nurses. Like its education system, Portugal's medical system is inefficient. There are long waiting lists for appointments with specialists and for surgical procedures.

   Structural changes in Portugal's economy and society mean that social life in Portugal is not too different from that in other EU member states. A mass consumption society has been created. Televisions, telephones, refrigerators, cars, music equipment, mobile phones, and personal computers are commonplace. Sixty percent of Portuguese households possess at least one automobile, and 65 percent of Portuguese own their own home. Portuguese citizens are more aware of their legal rights than ever before. This has resulted in a trebling of the number of legal proceeding since 1960 and an eight-fold increase in the number of lawyers. In general, Portuguese society has become more permissive and secular; the Catholic Church and the armed forces are much less influential than in the past. Portugal's population is also much more culturally, religiously, and ethnically diverse, a consequence of the coming to Portugal of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, mainly from former African colonies.

   Portuguese are becoming more cosmopolitan and sophisticated through the impact of world media, the Internet, and the World Wide Web. A prime case in point came in the summer and early fall of 1999, with the extraordinary events in East Timor and the massive Portuguese popular responses. An internationally monitored referendum in East Timor, Portugal's former colony in the Indonesian archipelago and under Indonesian occupation from late 1975 to summer 1999, resulted in a vote of 78.5 percent for rejecting integration with Indonesia and for independence. When Indonesian prointegration gangs, aided by the Indonesian military, responded to the referendum with widespread brutality and threatened to reverse the verdict of the referendum, there was a spontaneous popular outpouring of protest in the cities and towns of Portugal. An avalanche of Portuguese e-mail fell on leaders and groups in the UN and in certain countries around the world as Portugal's diplomats, perhaps to compensate for the weak initial response to Indonesian armed aggression in 1975, called for the protection of East Timor as an independent state and for UN intervention to thwart Indonesian action. Using global communications networks, the Portuguese were able to mobilize UN and world public opinion against Indonesian actions and aided the eventual independence of East Timor on 20 May 2002.

   From the Revolution of 25 April 1974 until the 1990s, Portugal had a large number of political parties, one of the largest Communist parties in western Europe, frequent elections, and endemic cabinet instability. Since the 1990s, the number of political parties has been dramatically reduced and cabinet stability increased. Gradually, the Portuguese electorate has concentrated around two larger parties, the right-of-center Social Democrats (PSD) and the left-of-center Socialist (PS). In the 1980s, these two parties together garnered 65 percent of the vote and 70 percent of the seats in parliament. In 2005, these percentages had risen to 74 percent and 85 percent, respectively. In effect, Portugal is currently a two-party dominant system in which the two largest parties — PS and PSD—alternate in and out of power, not unlike the rotation of the two main political parties (the Regenerators and the Historicals) during the last decades (1850s to 1880s) of the liberal constitutional monarchy. As Portugal's democracy has consolidated, turnout rates for the eligible electorate have declined. In the 1970s, turnout was 85 percent. In Portugal's most recent parliamentary election (2005), turnout had fallen to 65 percent of the eligible electorate.

   Portugal has benefited greatly from membership in the EU, and whatever doubts remain about the price paid for membership, no Portuguese government in the near future can afford to sever this connection. The vast majority of Portuguese citizens see membership in the EU as a "good thing" and strongly believe that Portugal has benefited from membership. Only the Communist Party opposed membership because it reduces national sovereignty, serves the interests of capitalists not workers, and suffers from a democratic deficit. Despite the high level of support for the EU, Portuguese voters are increasingly not voting in elections for the European Parliament, however. Turnout for European Parliament elections fell from 40 percent of the eligible electorate in the 1999 elections to 38 percent in the 2004 elections.

   In sum, Portugal's turn toward Europe has done much to overcome its backwardness. However, despite the economic, social, and political progress made since 1986, Portugal has a long way to go before it can claim to be on a par with the level found even in Spain, much less the rest of western Europe. As Portugal struggles to move from underde-velopment, especially in the rural areas away from the coast, it must keep in mind the perils of too rapid modern development, which could damage two of its most precious assets: its scenery and environment. The growth and future prosperity of the economy will depend on the degree to which the government and the private sector will remain stewards of clean air, soil, water, and other finite resources on which the tourism industry depends and on which Portugal's world image as a unique place to visit rests. Currently, Portugal is investing heavily in renewable energy from solar, wind, and wave power in order to account for about 50 percent of its electricity needs by 2010. Portugal opened the world's largest solar power plant and the world's first commercial wave power farm in 2006.

   An American documentary film on Portugal produced in the 1970s described this little country as having "a Past in Search of a Future." In the years after the Revolution of 25 April 1974, it could be said that Portugal is now living in "a Present in Search of a Future." Increasingly, that future lies in Europe as an active and productive member of the EU.

Historical dictionary of Portugal > Historical Portugal

4 subir

v.

1 to go/come up (ascender) (calle, escaleras).

subió las escaleras a toda velocidad she ran up o climbed the stairs as fast as she could

subir en ascensor to go/come up in the lift o (British) elevator (United States)

subir por la escalera to go/come up the stairs

2 to lift up (poner arriba).

ayúdame a subir la caja help me get the box up; (a lo alto) help me carry the box upstairs (al piso de arriba)

3 to put up, to increase (increase) (precio, peso).

La empresa sube los precios The company increases the prices.

Me subió la calentura My fever increased.

4 to raise (alzar) (mano, bandera, voz).

El chico sube la cama The boy raises the bed.

5 to raise the pitch of (Music).

6 to go up, to rise (increase) (precio, temperatura).

subir de categoría to improve; (mejorar) to be promoted (ser ascendido)

El elevador sube The elevator climbs.

7 to get on (montar) (en avión, barco).

sube al coche get into the car

8 to rise (cooking) (crecer).

9 to walk up, to climb.

Ella subió el sendero She walked up the path.

* * *

subir

► verbo intransitivo

1 (ir hacia arriba - gen) to go up, come up; (- avión) to climb

2 (en un vehículo - coche) to get in; (autobús, avión, barco, tren) to get on, get onto

■ ¡venga, sube! go on, get in!

3 (montar - bicicleta) to get on; (- caballo) to get on, mount

4 (a un árbol) to climb up

5 figurado (elevarse, aumentar) to rise

6 figurado (categoría, puesto) to be promoted

7 figurado (cuenta) to come (a, to)

■ la deuda sube a dos mil euros the debt comes to two thoudsand euros

► verbo transitivo

1 (escaleras, calle) to go up, climb; (montaña) to climb

2 (mover arriba) to carry up, take up, bring up; (poner arriba) to put upstairs

■ súbelo arriba take it upstairs

3 (cabeza etc) to lift, raise

4 (pared) to raise

5 COSTURA to take up

■ subir un dobladillo to take up a hem

6 figurado (precio, salario, etc) to raise, put up

7 figurado (subir el volumen - voz) to raise; (- aparato) to turn up

8 figurado (color) to strengthen

► verbo pronominal subirse

1 (piso, escalera) to go up

2 (árbol, muro, etc) to climb up (a, -)

3 (en un vehículo - coche) to get in (a, -); (autobús) to get on (a, -); (avión, barco, tren) to get on (a, -), get onto (a,-)

■ ¡súbete, súbete al coche! get in, get into the car!

4 (en animales, bicicleta) to get on (a, -), mount

5 (ropa, calcetines) to pull up; (cremallera) to do up, zip up; (mangas) to roll up

\

FRASEOLOGÍA

subir a bordo to get on board

subir al trono figurado to ascend to the throne

subir como la espuma familiar to spread like wildfire

subirse por las paredes figurado to hit the roof

subírsele a uno los humos a la cabeza figurado to become conceited

subírsele algo a la cabeza figurado to go to one's head

* * *

verb

1) to increase, rise

2) raise

3) climb

•

- subir a

* * *

1. VT

1) (=levantar) [+ pierna, brazo, objeto] to lift, lift up, raise; [+ calcetines, pantalones, persianas] to pull up

sube los brazos — lift your arms (up), raise your arms

2) (=poner arriba) [llevando] to take up; [trayendo] to bring up

¿me puedes ayudar a subir las maletas? — can you help me to take up the cases?

voy a subir esta caja arriba — I'll take this box upstairs

¿puedes subir ese cuadro de abajo? — could you bring that picture up from down there?

lo subieron al portaequipajes — they put it up on the rack

lo subimos a un taxi — we put him in a taxi

3) (=ascender) [+ calle, cuesta, escalera, montaña] (=ir arriba) to go up; (=venir arriba) to come up

subió las escaleras de dos en dos — she went up the stairs two at a time

tenía problemas para subir las escaleras — he had difficulty getting up o climbing the stairs

4) (=aumentar) [+ precio, salario] to put up, raise, increase; [+ artículo en venta] to put up the price of

los taxistas han subido sus tarifas — taxi drivers have put their fares up o have raised their fares

van a subir la gasolina — they are going to put up o increase the price of petrol

5) (=elevar) [+ volumen, televisión, radio] to turn up; [+ voz] to raise

sube la radio, que no se oye — turn the radio up, I can't hear it

6) [en escalafón] [+ persona] to promote

7) (Arquit) to put up, build

subir una pared — to put up o build a wall

8) (Mús) to raise the pitch of

2. VI

1) (=ir arriba) to go up; (=venir arriba) to come up; [en un monte, en el aire] to climb

suba al tercer piso — go up to the third floor

sube, que te voy a enseñar unos discos — come up, I've got some records to show you

seguimos subiendo hasta la cima — we went on climbing till we reached the summit

estaba mirando como la mosca subía por la ventana — I watched the fly move slowly up the window

tuvimos que subir andando — we had to walk up

2) (Transportes) [en autobús, avión, tren, bicicleta, moto, caballo] to get on; [en coche, taxi] to get in

subir a un autobús/avión/tren — to get on(to) a bus/plane/train

subir a un coche — to get in(to) a car

subir a una bicicleta — to get on(to) a bike

subir a un caballo — to mount a horse, get on(to) a horse

subir a bordo — to go o get on board

3) [en el escalafón] to be promoted (a to)

nuestro objetivo es subir a primera división — our aim is to go up o be promoted to the First Division

4) (=aumentar) [precio, valor] to go up, rise; [temperatura] to rise

la gasolina ha vuelto a subir — (the price of) petrol has gone up again

sigue subiendo la bolsa — share prices are still rising

le ha subido la fiebre — her temperature has gone up o risen
tono 2)
5) (=aumentar de nivel) [río, mercurio] to rise; [marea] to come in

6) [cantidad]

subir a — to come to, total

3.

See:

subirse
SUBIR Otros verbos de movimiento ► Subir la cuesta/ la escalera {etc}, por regla general, se suele traducir por to come up o por to go up, según la dirección del movimiento (hacia o en sentido contrario al hablante), pero come y go se pueden reemplazar por otros verbos de movimiento si la oración española especifica la forma en que se sube mediante el uso de adverbios o construcciones adverbiales: Tim subió las escaleras a gatas Tim crept up the stairs El mes pasado los precios subieron vertiginosamente Prices shot up last month Para otros usos y ejemplos ver la entrada
* * *
1.
verbo intransitivo

1)

a) ascensor/persona ( alejándose) to go up; ( acercándose) to come up

hay que subir a pie — you have to walk up

ahora subo — I'll be right up

los autobuses que suben al pueblo — the buses that go up to the village

el camino sube hasta la cima — the path goes up to o leads to the top of the hill

b)

subir A algo — a autobús/tren/avión to get on o onto sth; a coche to get in o into sth; a caballo/bicicleta to get on o onto sth, to mount sth (frml)

subir a bordo — to go o get on board

c) ( de categoría) to go up; ( en el escalafón) to be promoted

han subido a primera división — they've been promoted to o they've gone up to the first division

d) ( en tenis)

subir a la red — to go up to the net

2)

a) marea to come in; aguas/río to rise

b) fiebre/tensión to go up, rise; temperatura to rise

c) leche materna to come in

3) precio/valor/cotización/salario to rise, go up
2.
subir vt

1) < montaña> to climb; < cuesta> to go up, climb; < escaleras> to go up, climb

subió corriendo la escalera — she ran upstairs

2)

a) <objeto/niño> ( llevar arriba - acercándose) to bring up; (- alejándose) to take up

voy a subir la compra — I'm just going to take the shopping upstairs

tengo que subir unas cajas al desván — I have to put some boxes up in the attic

b) <objeto/niño> ( poner más alto)

sube al niño al caballo — lift the child onto the horse

voy a subir un poco este cuadro — I'm going to put this picture up a bit higher

traía el cuello del abrigo subido — he had his coat collar turned up

c) <persiana/telón> to raise; < pantalones> to pull up

¿me subes la cremallera? — will you zip me up?, will you fasten my zipper (AmE) o (BrE) zip?

subió la ventanilla — she raised the window

d) < dobladillo> to take up; < falda> to take o turn up

3) (Inf) to upload

4)

a) <precios/salarios> to raise, put up

¿cuánto te han subido este año? — how much did your salary go up this year?

b) <volumen/radio> to turn up

sube un poco la calefacción — turn the heating o heat up a little
3.
subirse verbo pronominal

1)

a) (a coche, autobús, etc) verbo intransitivo 1 b

b) ( trepar) to climb

se subió al árbol/al muro — she climbed up the tree/(up) onto the walls

estaba subido a un árbol/caballo — he was up a tree/sitting on a horse

c) (a la cabeza, cara) (+ me/te/le etc)

el éxito se le subió a la cabeza — the success went to his head

se me subieron los colores — I went red o blushed

2) (refl) <calcetines/pantalones> to pull up

* * *

= go up, move up, raise, rise, ascend, mount, walk up, elevate, climb, bring up, zip, move down, hike up, scale, spike, crank up, get + high, move it up + a gear, notch it up + a gear, take it up + a gear, take it up + a notch, crank it up + a notch, crank it up + a gear, move it up + a notch, ratchet up, mark + Nombre + up, amp up, turn up.

Ex. Since recall goes up as precision goes down, it is clearly not possible to achieve in general a system which gives full recall at the same time as full precision.

Ex. Now we move up the chain providing index entries for each of the potentially sought terms.

Ex. The speaker said that James estimated people function at only 20% of their capacity, and concluded that they could raise this percentage considerable if they knew how to manage their time more efficiently.

Ex. If suppliers are forced out of business, there will be less software to lend and prices will rise with the lack of competition.

Ex. As she ascended the staircase to the library director's office, she tried to fathom the reason for the imperious summons.

Ex. He fully expected the director to acquiesce, for his eyebrows mounted ever so slightly.

Ex. Some of the questions to ask ourselves are will people walk up or down stairs, across quadrangles, etc just to visit the library?.

Ex. Some of the things that are said about genuine bookselling do at times seem to elevate this occupation to a level far beyond mere commerce.

Ex. Stanton felt a bit like someone who, after boasting that she could dive into water from a great height has climbed to the height and dares not jump, but knows that she must jump.

Ex. Matrix and mould were pivoted and were brought up to the nozzle of a metal pump for the moment of casting, and then swung back to eject the new-made letter.

Ex. The study investigated the use of a video to teach 3 self-help skills (cleaning sunglasses, putting on a wristwatch, and zipping a jacket) to 3 elementary students with mental disabilities.

Ex. Of the 32 institutions indicating some change in status from July 1982 to January 1983, 19 moved down in status and 13 moved up.

Ex. The government has hiked up the rate of income tax being paid by oil multinationals.

Ex. You'll be scaling walls, jumping between rooftops, swinging on ropes, hanging from pipes, sliding under 4WDs and doing anything you can to avoid those zombies.

Ex. Baby boomers are desperately trying to hold onto their salad days -- plastic surgery, vitamins and drugs like Viagra have spiked in public demand.

Ex. Refiners are cranking up diesel output to meet rising global demand.

Ex. Yes, some people with thin blood or whose pulse and blood pressure get high enough will have a nose bleed when excited.

Ex. Liverpool and Chelsea are grabbing all the headlines, but Arsenal have quietly moved it up a gear scoring 10 goals in their last three league games.

Ex. Start gently, ease yourself in by breaking the workout down into three one minute sessions until you are ready to notch it up a gear and join them together.

Ex. There was not much to separate the sides in the first ten minutes however Arsenal took it up a gear and got the goal but not without a bit of luck.

Ex. We have a good time together and we're good friends.. but I'd like to take it up a notch.

Ex. David quickly comprehended our project needs and then cranked it up a notch with impactful design.

Ex. Went for a bike ride with a mate last week, no problems so will crank it up a gear and tackle some hills in the next few weeks.

Ex. After a regular walking routine is established, why not move it up a notch and start jogging, if you haven't already.

Ex. The health department has ratcheted up efforts to prevent or slow down the spread of swine flu in schools.

Ex. Determine how much it costs to make the item, how much it costs to market that item, and then mark it up by 15-30% or more.

Ex. In order to gain strength fast, you need to immediately begin amping up your strength thermostat in your mind.

Ex. Cytokines are small proteins used to communicate messages between the immune cells in the immune system to either turn up or down the immune response.

----

* estar que + subirse + por las paredes = tear + Posesivo + hair out.

* obligar a subir el precio = force up + prices.

* subir a = board.

* subir al poder = rise to + power.

* subir al trono = ascend (to) + the throne.

* subir a un barco = board + ship.

* subir de nivel = move it up + a gear, take it up + a gear, notch it up + a gear, take it up + a notch, crank it up + a notch, crank it up + a gear, move it up + a notch.

* subir de precio = rise in + price.

* subir el listón = raise + the bar, move it up + a gear, take it up + a gear, notch it up + a gear, take it up + a notch, crank it up + a notch, crank it up + a gear, move it up + a notch.

* subir el nivel = raise + standard, raise + the bar.

* subir el precio = push + cost + up, raise + price, jack up + the price, rack up + the price.

* subir el volumen = pump up + the volume.

* subir en = ride.

* subir en bici = ride + a bike.

* subir en bicicleta = ride + a bike.

* subir exageradamente = rise + steeply.

* subir la moral = boost + Posesivo + morale, lift + morale, increase + morale, improve + morale, boost + Posesivo + confidence, bolster + confidence.

* subirle la nota a Alguien = mark + Nombre + up.

* subir ligeramente = nudge up.

* subir los impuestos = push + taxes.

* subir repentinamente = shoot up.

* subirse al autobús = get on + the bus.

* subirse al tren = jump on + the bandwagon, ride + the hype, catch + the fever.

* subírsele a la cabeza = go to + Posesivo + head.

* subírsele los colores = go + bright red.

* subírsele los humos a la cabeza = get + too big for + Posesivo + boots, get + too big for + Posesivo + breeches.

* subirse por las paredes = be beside + Reflexivo.

* subir y/o bajar = move up and/or down.

* telón + subir = curtain + rise.

* * *
1.
verbo intransitivo

1)

a) ascensor/persona ( alejándose) to go up; ( acercándose) to come up

hay que subir a pie — you have to walk up

ahora subo — I'll be right up

los autobuses que suben al pueblo — the buses that go up to the village

el camino sube hasta la cima — the path goes up to o leads to the top of the hill

b)

subir A algo — a autobús/tren/avión to get on o onto sth; a coche to get in o into sth; a caballo/bicicleta to get on o onto sth, to mount sth (frml)

subir a bordo — to go o get on board

c) ( de categoría) to go up; ( en el escalafón) to be promoted

han subido a primera división — they've been promoted to o they've gone up to the first division

d) ( en tenis)

subir a la red — to go up to the net

2)

a) marea to come in; aguas/río to rise

b) fiebre/tensión to go up, rise; temperatura to rise

c) leche materna to come in

3) precio/valor/cotización/salario to rise, go up
2.
subir vt

1) < montaña> to climb; < cuesta> to go up, climb; < escaleras> to go up, climb

subió corriendo la escalera — she ran upstairs

2)

a) <objeto/niño> ( llevar arriba - acercándose) to bring up; (- alejándose) to take up

voy a subir la compra — I'm just going to take the shopping upstairs

tengo que subir unas cajas al desván — I have to put some boxes up in the attic

b) <objeto/niño> ( poner más alto)

sube al niño al caballo — lift the child onto the horse

voy a subir un poco este cuadro — I'm going to put this picture up a bit higher

traía el cuello del abrigo subido — he had his coat collar turned up

c) <persiana/telón> to raise; < pantalones> to pull up

¿me subes la cremallera? — will you zip me up?, will you fasten my zipper (AmE) o (BrE) zip?

subió la ventanilla — she raised the window

d) < dobladillo> to take up; < falda> to take o turn up

3) (Inf) to upload

4)

a) <precios/salarios> to raise, put up

¿cuánto te han subido este año? — how much did your salary go up this year?

b) <volumen/radio> to turn up

sube un poco la calefacción — turn the heating o heat up a little
3.
subirse verbo pronominal

1)

a) (a coche, autobús, etc) verbo intransitivo 1 b

b) ( trepar) to climb

se subió al árbol/al muro — she climbed up the tree/(up) onto the walls

estaba subido a un árbol/caballo — he was up a tree/sitting on a horse

c) (a la cabeza, cara) (+ me/te/le etc)

el éxito se le subió a la cabeza — the success went to his head

se me subieron los colores — I went red o blushed

2) (refl) <calcetines/pantalones> to pull up

* * *

= go up, move up, raise, rise, ascend, mount, walk up, elevate, climb, bring up, zip, move down, hike up, scale, spike, crank up, get + high, move it up + a gear, notch it up + a gear, take it up + a gear, take it up + a notch, crank it up + a notch, crank it up + a gear, move it up + a notch, ratchet up, mark + Nombre + up, amp up, turn up.

Ex: Since recall goes up as precision goes down, it is clearly not possible to achieve in general a system which gives full recall at the same time as full precision.

Ex: Now we move up the chain providing index entries for each of the potentially sought terms.

Ex: The speaker said that James estimated people function at only 20% of their capacity, and concluded that they could raise this percentage considerable if they knew how to manage their time more efficiently.

Ex: If suppliers are forced out of business, there will be less software to lend and prices will rise with the lack of competition.

Ex: As she ascended the staircase to the library director's office, she tried to fathom the reason for the imperious summons.

Ex: He fully expected the director to acquiesce, for his eyebrows mounted ever so slightly.

Ex: Some of the questions to ask ourselves are will people walk up or down stairs, across quadrangles, etc just to visit the library?.

Ex: Some of the things that are said about genuine bookselling do at times seem to elevate this occupation to a level far beyond mere commerce.

Ex: Stanton felt a bit like someone who, after boasting that she could dive into water from a great height has climbed to the height and dares not jump, but knows that she must jump.

Ex: Matrix and mould were pivoted and were brought up to the nozzle of a metal pump for the moment of casting, and then swung back to eject the new-made letter.

Ex: The study investigated the use of a video to teach 3 self-help skills (cleaning sunglasses, putting on a wristwatch, and zipping a jacket) to 3 elementary students with mental disabilities.

Ex: Of the 32 institutions indicating some change in status from July 1982 to January 1983, 19 moved down in status and 13 moved up.

Ex: The government has hiked up the rate of income tax being paid by oil multinationals.

Ex: You'll be scaling walls, jumping between rooftops, swinging on ropes, hanging from pipes, sliding under 4WDs and doing anything you can to avoid those zombies.

Ex: Baby boomers are desperately trying to hold onto their salad days -- plastic surgery, vitamins and drugs like Viagra have spiked in public demand.

Ex: Refiners are cranking up diesel output to meet rising global demand.

Ex: Yes, some people with thin blood or whose pulse and blood pressure get high enough will have a nose bleed when excited.

Ex: Liverpool and Chelsea are grabbing all the headlines, but Arsenal have quietly moved it up a gear scoring 10 goals in their last three league games.

Ex: Start gently, ease yourself in by breaking the workout down into three one minute sessions until you are ready to notch it up a gear and join them together.

Ex: There was not much to separate the sides in the first ten minutes however Arsenal took it up a gear and got the goal but not without a bit of luck.

Ex: We have a good time together and we're good friends.. but I'd like to take it up a notch.

Ex: David quickly comprehended our project needs and then cranked it up a notch with impactful design.

Ex: Went for a bike ride with a mate last week, no problems so will crank it up a gear and tackle some hills in the next few weeks.

Ex: After a regular walking routine is established, why not move it up a notch and start jogging, if you haven't already.

Ex: The health department has ratcheted up efforts to prevent or slow down the spread of swine flu in schools.

Ex: Determine how much it costs to make the item, how much it costs to market that item, and then mark it up by 15-30% or more.

Ex: In order to gain strength fast, you need to immediately begin amping up your strength thermostat in your mind.

Ex: Cytokines are small proteins used to communicate messages between the immune cells in the immune system to either turn up or down the immune response.

* estar que + subirse + por las paredes = tear + Posesivo + hair out.

* obligar a subir el precio = force up + prices.

* subir a = board.

* subir al poder = rise to + power.

* subir al trono = ascend (to) + the throne.

* subir a un barco = board + ship.

* subir de nivel = move it up + a gear, take it up + a gear, notch it up + a gear, take it up + a notch, crank it up + a notch, crank it up + a gear, move it up + a notch.

* subir de precio = rise in + price.

* subir el listón = raise + the bar, move it up + a gear, take it up + a gear, notch it up + a gear, take it up + a notch, crank it up + a notch, crank it up + a gear, move it up + a notch.

* subir el nivel = raise + standard, raise + the bar.

* subir el precio = push + cost + up, raise + price, jack up + the price, rack up + the price.

* subir el volumen = pump up + the volume.

* subir en = ride.

* subir en bici = ride + a bike.

* subir en bicicleta = ride + a bike.

* subir exageradamente = rise + steeply.

* subir la moral = boost + Posesivo + morale, lift + morale, increase + morale, improve + morale, boost + Posesivo + confidence, bolster + confidence.

* subirle la nota a Alguien = mark + Nombre + up.

* subir ligeramente = nudge up.

* subir los impuestos = push + taxes.

* subir repentinamente = shoot up.

* subirse al autobús = get on + the bus.

* subirse al tren = jump on + the bandwagon, ride + the hype, catch + the fever.

* subírsele a la cabeza = go to + Posesivo + head.

* subírsele los colores = go + bright red.

* subírsele los humos a la cabeza = get + too big for + Posesivo + boots, get + too big for + Posesivo + breeches.

* subirse por las paredes = be beside + Reflexivo.

* subir y/o bajar = move up and/or down.

* telón + subir = curtain + rise.

* * *

subir [I1 ]

vi

A

1 «ascensor/persona» (alejándose) to go up; (acercándose) to come up

hay que subir a pie you have to walk up

ahora subo I'll be right up, I'm coming up now

voy a subir al caserío I'm going up to the farmhouse

los autobuses que suben al pueblo the buses that go up to the village

el camino sube hasta la cima the path goes up to o leads to the top of the hill

2 (a un coche) to get in; (a un autobús, etc) to get on subir A algo ‹a un autobús/un tren/un avión› to get ON o ONTO sth; ‹a un coche› to get IN o INTO sth; ‹a un caballo/una bicicleta› to get ON o ONTO sth, to mount sth ( frml)

subir a bordo to go/get on board

3 (de categoría) to go up

ha subido en el escalafón he has been promoted

han subido a primera división they've been promoted to o they've gone up to the first division

ha subido mucho en mi estima she has gone up a lot o ( frml) risen greatly in my estimation

4 ( Arg fam) to take up office/one's post

5

(en tenis): subir a la red to go up to the net

B

1 «marea» to come in; «aguas/río» to rise

las aguas no subieron de nivel the water level did not rise

2 «fiebre/tensión» to go up, rise

han subido las temperaturas temperatures have risen

3 ( Med) «leche» to come in, be produced

C «precio/valor/cotización» to rise, go up

la leche subió a 60 céntimos milk went up to sixty cents

el desempleo subió en 94.500 personas en el primer trimestre unemployment rose by 94,500 in the first quarter

ha subido el dólar con respecto al euro the dollar has risen against the euro

D ( Inf) to upload

■ subir

vt

A ‹montaña› to climb; ‹cuesta› to go up, climb

subió corriendo la escalera she ran upstairs

tiene problemas para subir la escalera he has trouble getting up o climbing the stairs

subió los escalones de dos en dos he went o walked up the stairs two at a time

B

1 ‹objeto/niño› (acercándose) to bring up; (alejándose) to take up

voy a subir la compra I'm just going to take the shopping upstairs

tengo que subir unas cajas al desván I have to put some boxes up in the attic

¿puedes subir las maletas? could you take the cases up?

sube al niño al caballo lift the child onto the horse

ese cuadro está muy bajo, ¿puedes subirlo un poco? that picture is very low, can you put it up a little higher?

traía el cuello del abrigo subido he had his coat collar turned up

2 ‹persiana/telón› to raise

¿me subes la cremallera? will you zip me up?, will you fasten my zipper ( AmE) o ( BrE) zip?

subió la ventanilla she wound the window up o closed o raised the window

ven que te suba los pantalones come here and let me pull your pants ( AmE) o ( BrE) trousers up for you

3 ‹dobladillo› to take up; ‹falda› to take o turn up

C

1 ‹precios/salarios› to raise, put up

¿cuánto te han subido este año? how much did your salary go up this year?

2 ‹volumen/radio› to turn up

sube el volumen turn the volume up

sube el tono que no te oigo speak up, I can't hear you

sube un poco la calefacción turn the heating o heat up a little

■ subirse

v pron

A

1 (a un coche, autobús, etc) subir vi A 2.

2 (trepar) to climb

se subió al muro she climbed (up) onto the wall

les encanta subirse a los árboles they love to climb trees

estaban subidos a un árbol they were up a tree

el niño se le subió encima the child climbed on top of him

3 (a la cabeza, cara) (+ me/te/le etc):

el vino enseguida se me subió a la cabeza the wine went straight to my head

el éxito se le ha subido a la cabeza success has gone to his head

noté que se me subían los colores (a la cara) I realized that I was going red o blushing

B ( refl) ‹calcetines/pantalones› to pull up

* * *

subir ( conjugate subir) verbo intransitivo
1
a) [ascensor/persona/coche] ( ir arriba) to go up;

( venir arriba) to come up;
◊ hay que subir a pie you have to walk up;

ahora subo I'll be right up;
el camino sube hasta la cima the path goes up to o leads to the top of the hill
b) subir A algo ‹a autobús/tren/avión› to get on o onto sth;

‹ a coche› to get in o into sth;
‹a caballo/bicicleta› to get on o onto sth, to mount sth (frml);
◊ subir a bordo to go o get on board

c) ( de categoría) to go up;

( en el escalafón) to be promoted
2
a) [ marea] to come in;

[aguas/río] to rise
b) [fiebre/tensión] to go up, rise;

[ temperatura] to rise
3 [precio/valor/cotización/salario] to rise, go up
verbo transitivo
1 ‹ montaña› to climb;
‹escaleras/cuesta› to go up, climb
2
a) ‹objeto/niño› ( traer arriba) to bring up;

( llevar arriba) to take up;
◊ tengo que subir unas cajas al desván I have to put some boxes up in the attic

b) ( poner más alto) ‹ objeto› to put up … (higher);

‹ cuello de prenda› to turn up:
◊ sube al niño al caballo lift the child onto the horse

c) ‹persiana/telón/ventanilla› to raise;

‹ pantalones› to pull up;
◊ ¿me subes la cremallera? will you zip me up?, will you fasten my zipper (AmE) o (BrE) zip?

d) ‹ dobladillo› to take up;

‹ falda› to take o turn up
e) (Inf) to upload

3
a) ‹precios/salarios› to raise, put up

b) ‹volumen/radio/calefacción› to turn up

subirse verbo pronominal
1
a) (a coche, autobús, etc) See Also→ subir verbo intransitivo 1b

b) ( trepar) to climb;

◊ se subió al árbol/al muro she climbed up the tree/(up) onto the wall;

estaba subido a un árbol he was up a tree
c) ( a la cabeza) (+ me/te/le etc):

◊ el éxito se le subió a la cabeza the success went to his head

2 ( refl) ‹calcetines/pantalones› to pull up;
‹ cuello› to turn up
subir
I verbo transitivo
1 (una pendiente, las escaleras) to go up
(hacia el hablante) to come up
(una montaña) to climb
2 (llevar arriba) to take up: voy a subir las cajas, I'm going to take the boxes upstairs
(hacia el hablante) to bring up
3 (elevar) to raise: sube la mano izquierda, lift your left hand
(el sueldo, la temperatura, la voz, etc) to raise: sube (el volumen de) la radio, turn the radio up
II verbo intransitivo
1 (ascender) to go up: ¿por qué no subimos a verla?, why don't we go up to see her?
(acercándose al hablante) to come up ➣ Ver nota en ir 2 (a un avión, tren, autobús) to get on o onto: subimos al tren, we boarded the train
(a un coche) to get into o in
3 (la marea, las aguas) to rise
4 (la temperatura) to rise
5 (los precios, el sueldo, etc) to rise, go up
6 (de categoría) to go up
' subir' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
A
- abrochar
- ascender
- bordo
- cajón
- cerrar
- cortante
- embarcación
- escena
- estrado
- irse
- trono
- abordar
- alto
- bien
- escalafón
- montar
- volumen
English:
aboard
- ascend
- board
- boarding card
- boarding pass
- climb
- come in
- come up
- curl
- elevate
- escalate
- flight
- get into
- get on
- go up
- hand up
- heave
- hoist
- increase
- jump on
- mount
- move up
- pile in
- push
- raise
- rise
- roll up
- send up
- sharply
- shoot up
- show up
- slope
- spiral up
- stair
- stand
- steeply
- tree
- turn up
- up
- volume
- walk up
- zip up
- air
- come
- do
- flow
- gain
- get
- go
- jump

* * *

subir

♦ vt

1. [poner arriba] [libro, cuadro] to put up;
[telón] to raise; [persiana] to roll up; [ventanilla] to wind up, to close;
he subido la enciclopedia de la primera a la última estantería I've moved the encyclopedia up from the bottom shelf to the top one;

sube el cuadro un poco move the picture up a bit o a bit higher;

¿me ayudas a subir las bolsas? could you help me take the bags up?;

ayúdame a subir la caja [a lo alto] help me get the box up;
[al piso de arriba] help me carry the box upstairs
2. [montar]
subir algo/a alguien a to lift sth/sb onto

3. [alzar] [bandera] to raise;

subir la mano to put one's hand up, to raise one's hand

4. [ascender] [calle, escaleras] to go/come up;
[escalera de mano] to climb; [pendiente, montaña] to go up;
subió las escaleras a toda velocidad she ran up o climbed the stairs as fast as she could;

subió la calle a todo correr he ran up the street as fast as he could

5. [aumentar] [precio, impuestos] to put up, to increase;
[música, volumen, radio] to turn up;
subió la voz o [m5] el tono para que se le oyera she raised her voice so she could be heard;

sube la voz o [m5]el tono, no te oigo speak up, I can't hear you;

subir el fuego de la cocina to turn up the heat;

subir la moral a alguien to lift sb's spirits, to cheer sb up

6. [hacer ascender de categoría] to promote

7. Mús to raise the pitch of

8. Fam Informát to upload

♦ vi

1. [a piso, azotea] to go/come up;

¿podrías subir aquí un momento? could you come up here a minute?;

subo enseguida I'll be up in a minute;

subir corriendo to run up;

subir en ascensor to go/come up in the Br lift o US elevator;

subir por la escalera to go/come up the stairs;

subir (a) por algo to go up and get sth;

subir a la red [en tenis] to come (in) to the net

2. [montar] [en avión, barco] to get on;
[en coche] to get in; [en moto, bicicleta, tren] to get on; [en caballo] to get on, to mount; [en árbol, escalera de mano, silla] to climb up;
subir a [coche] to get in(to);
[moto, bicicleta, tren, avión] to get on; [caballo] to get on, to mount; [árbol, escalera de mano] to climb up; [silla, mesa] to get o climb onto; [piso] to go/come up to;
subir a bordo to go on board;

es peligroso subir al tren en marcha it is dangerous to board the train while it is moving

3. [aumentar] to rise, to go up;
[hinchazón, cauce] to rise; [fiebre] to raise, to go up;
los precios subieron prices went up o rose;

subió la gasolina the price of petrol went up o rose;

el euro subió frente a la libra the euro went up o rose against the pound;

las acciones de C & C han subido C & C share prices have gone up o risen;

han subido las ventas sales are up;

este modelo ha subido de precio this model has gone up in price, the price of this model has gone up;

el coste total no subirá del millón the total cost will not be more than o over a million;

no subirá de tres horas it will take three hours at most, it won't take more than three hours;

está subiendo la marea the tide is coming in;

el jefe ha subido mucho en mi estima the boss has gone up a lot in my estimation

4. [cuenta, importe]
subir a to come o amount to

5. Culin [crecer] to rise

6. Fam [ir, venir] to come/go up;

subiré a la capital la próxima semana I'll be going up to the capital next week;

¿por qué no subes a vernos este fin de semana? why don't you come up to see us this weekend?

7. [ascender de categoría] to be promoted (a to); Dep to be promoted, to go up (a to);
el Atlético subió de categoría Atlético went up

♦ See also the pronominal verb subirse

* * *

subir

I v/t

1 cuesta, escalera go up, climb; montaña climb

2 objeto raise, lift; intereses, precio raise

II v/i

1 para indicar acercamiento come up; para indicar alejamiento go up

2 de precio rise, go up

3 a un tren, autobús get on; a un coche get in

4

:

subir al poder rise to power;

subir al trono ascend to the throne

* * *

subir vt

1) : to bring up, to take up

2) : to climb, to go up

3) : to raise

subir vi

1) : to go up, to come up

2) : to rise, to increase

3) : to be promoted

4)

subir a : to get on, to mount

subir a un tren: to get on a train

♦ See also the reflexive verb subirse

* * *

subir vb

1. (ir arriba) to go up

subí las escaleras I went up the stairs

¡sube! ¡la vista es fantástica! come up! the view is fantastic!

2. (escalar) to climb

subimos la montaña we climbed the mountain

3. (en un coche) to get in

sube al coche get in the car

4. (en un tren, autobús, avión) to get on

subió al tren he got on the train

5. (aumentar) to rise [pt. rose; pp. risen] / to go up

el precio ha subido the price has gone up

6. (llevar arriba) to take up [pt. took; pp. taken] / to put up [pt. & pp. put]

sube estos trastos al desván put these old things up in the loft

7. (incrementar) to put up [pt. & pp. put] / to raise

han subido el precio del pan they've put the price of bread up

8. (hacer más fuerte) to turn up

sube el volumen de la radio turn the radio up

Spanish-English dictionary > subir

5 seguro

adj.

1 safe, sure, low-risk, risk-free.

2 safe.

3 confident, definite.

4 certain, sure, sure-enough, unfailing.

adv.

sure, surely.

m.

1 insurance, underwriting, assurance, insurance policy.

2 safety catch.

3 safety lock, latch.

4 safety-pin.

* * *

seguro

► adjetivo

1 (asegurado) secure

2 (a salvo) safe

3 (firme) firm, steady

4 (cierto) certain, sure

■ estoy segura de que fue allí I'm sure she went there

■ lo más seguro es que llegue tarde I'll probably be late

5 (de fiar) reliable

6 (confiado) confident

■ está muy seguro de sí mismo he's very self-confident

► nombre masculino seguro

1 (contrato, póliza) insurance

2 (mecanismo) safety device, safety catch

► adverbio

1 for sure, definitely

■ seguro que no definitely not

\

FRASEOLOGÍA

a buen seguro without any doubt

dar algo por seguro to take something for granted

ir sobre seguro figurado to play safe

sentirse seguro,-a to feel safe

sobre seguro without risk

seguro a terceros third-party insurance

seguro a todo riesgo fully comprehensive insurance

seguro contra incendios fire insurance

seguro de vida life insurance

————————

seguro

► nombre masculino

1 (contrato, póliza) insurance

2 (mecanismo) safety device, safety catch

► adverbio

1 for sure, definitely

■ seguro que no definitely not

* * *
1. (f. - segura)
adj.

1) safe, secure

2) sure

3) reliable

4) self-assured, confident

5) firm, fixed
2. adv.
certainly
3. noun m.
1) insurance

2) fastener, clasp

* * *

1. ADJ

1) (=sin peligro)

a) [refugio, método, vehículo] safe

no te subas a esa escalera porque no es muy segura — don't go up that ladder, it's not very safe

a causa de una práctica sexual poco segura — due to unsafe sex

b) [persona, objetos de valor] safe

está más seguro en el banco — it's safer in the bank

el bebé se siente seguro cerca de su madre — the baby feels safe o secure close to its mother

2) (=sujeto, estable) secure

hay que atar mejor la carga porque no parece muy segura — the load needs to be fixed a bit better because it doesn't seem to be very securely attached o very secure

su trabajo no es nada seguro — his job is not at all secure

3) (=definitivo) [fracaso, muerte] certain

su dimisión no es segura — her resignation is not certain

aún no hay fecha segura — there's no definite date yet

• eso es lo más seguro — that's the most likely thing

lo más seguro es que no pueda ir — I almost certainly o most likely won't be able to go

• dar algo por seguro, si yo fuera tú no daría la victoria por segura — if I were you I wouldn't be sure of victory

se da por seguro que se trataba de un secuestro — there's little doubt that it was a kidnapping

• es seguro que..., es seguro que ganaremos la copa — we're bound o sure o certain to win the cup

lo que es seguro es que el congreso se celebrará en Barcelona — the conference is definitely going to be held in Barcelona

4) (=convencido) sure

¿estás seguro? — are you sure?

sí, estoy completamente segura — yes, I'm absolutely sure o positive

-¿estás seguro de que era él? -sí, segurísimo — "are you sure it was him?" - "yes, positive"

- vamos a ganar -pues yo no estaría tan seguro — "we're going to win" - "I wouldn't bet on it" o "I wouldn't be so sure"

• seguro de algo — sure of sth

nunca he visto un hombre tan seguro de sus opiniones — I've never seen a man so sure of his opinions

no estoy seguro de poder ir — I'm not sure I'll be able to go

no estés tan seguro de que vas a ganar — don't be so sure that you're going to win

5) [de uno mismo] confident

se muestra cada vez más seguro en el escenario — he is more and more sure of himself o confident on stage

me noto más segura al andar — I feel more steady on my feet, I feel more confident walking now

seguro de sí mismo — self-confident, self-assured

6) (=fiable) [fuente, cálculo, método] reliable

no es un método muy seguro — it's not a very reliable o sure method

es la forma más segura de adelgazar — it's the surest way to lose weight

7) LAm (=honesto) trustworthy

2.

ADV for sure, for certain

no lo sabemos seguro — we don't know for sure o certain

-¿seguro que te interesa? -sí, seguro — "are you sure that you're interested?" - "yes, I'm sure"

-estoy dispuesto a cambiar de actitud -sí, sí, seguro — iró "I'm willing to change my attitude" - "yeah, yeah, sure!" iró

seguro que algunos se alegrarán — some people will certainly be pleased, I'm sure that some people will be pleased

seguro que llueve mañana — it's sure to rain tomorrow

• a buen seguro, de seguro — certainly

a buen seguro o de seguro va a dar que hablar — it will certainly give people something to talk about

- ir o jugar sobre seguro

decidieron jugar sobre seguro contratando a un buen abogado — they decided to play (it) safe and hire a good lawyer

3. SM

1) (=dispositivo)

a) [de puerta, lavadora] lock; [de arma de fuego] safety catch; [de pulsera] clasp

echa el seguro, que van niños en el coche — lock the doors, there are children in the car

b) CAm, Méx (=imperdible) safety pin

2) (Com, Econ) insurance

¿tienes el seguro del coche? — have you got your car insurance documents with you?

• hacerse un seguro — to take out insurance

seguro a todo riesgo — comprehensive insurance

seguro contra terceros — third-party insurance

seguro de accidentes — accident insurance

seguro de crédito a la exportación — export credit guarantee

seguro de daños a terceros — third-party insurance

seguro de desempleo — unemployment benefit, unemployment compensation o insurance (EEUU)

seguro de enfermedad — health insurance

seguro de incendios — fire insurance

seguro de jubilación — retirement plan, pension plan, pension scheme

seguro de paro — Esp unemployment benefit, unemployment compensation o insurance (EEUU)

seguro de viaje — travel insurance

seguro de vida — life assurance, life insurance ( esp EEUU)

seguro marítimo — marine insurance

seguro mixto — endowment assurance, endowment insurance ( esp EEUU)

seguro multirriesgo — multirisk insurance

seguro mutuo — mutual insurance

seguro temporal — term insurance

3) * (=sistema médico) national health *

los médicos de pago y los del seguro — private doctors and national health o NHS ones

seguro social — LAm (=sistema de pensiones y paro) social security, welfare (EEUU); (=contribuciones) national insurance; (=sistema médico) national health service

* * *
I
- ra adjetivo

1)

a) [SER] ( exento de riesgo) safe

ese aeropuerto no es muy seguro — it's not a very safe airport

ese ascensor no es seguro — that elevator is not safe

ponlo en un lugar seguro — put it in a safe place

b) ( estable) secure

un trabajo seguro — a secure job

una inversión segura — a safe o secure investment

esa escalera no está segura — that ladder isn't safe o steady

sobre seguro: un político que sabe jugar sobre seguro a politician who knows how to play safe; sabía que iba sobre seguro — he knew he was onto a sure thing (colloq)

c) [SER] ( fiable)

un método anticonceptivo poco seguro — not a very reliable o safe method of birth control

el cierre de la pulsera es muy seguro — the fastener on the bracelet is very secure

d) [ESTAR] ( a salvo) safe

el dinero estará seguro aquí — the money will be safe here

a su lado se siente seguro — he feels safe when he's beside her

2)

a) [ESTAR] ( convencido) sure

no estoy seguro — I'm not sure

seguro DE algo — sure o certain of something

estoy absolutamente seguro de haberlo dejado aquí — I'm absolutely sure o certain (that) I left it here

no estaba seguro de haber elegido bien — he wasn't sure that he'd made the right choice

b) [SER] ( que no admite duda)

su triunfo es seguro — his victory is assured

iban a una muerte segura — they were heading for certain death

no me han dado fecha segura — they haven't given me a definite day

todavía no es seguro — it's not definite yet

se da por seguro — there seems to be little doubt about it

no te preocupes, seguro que no es nada — don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing

seguro que se le olvida — he's sure o bound to forget

a buen seguro — ( ciertamente) for certain; ( a salvo) safe

guárdalo a buen seguro — keep it safe, put it away for safe keeping

c) ( con confianza en sí mismo) self-assured, self-confident

es una persona muy segura de sí misma — he's a very self-confident person
II
masculino

1)

a) ( mecanismo - de armas) safety catch; (- de una pulsera, un collar) clasp, fastener

poner el seguro — to do up the clasp o fastener

echó el seguro antes de acostarse/arrancar — he locked the door before going to bed/starting the car

b) (Méx) ( imperdible) safety pin

2)

a) ( contrato) insurance

se sacó or se hizo un seguro — she took out insurance o an insurance policy

b) ( Seguridad Social)

el seguro or el Seguro — the state health care system, ≈ Medicaid ( in US), ≈ the National Health Service ( in UK)

se operó por el seguro — he had his operation through Medicaid/on the National Health

me lo recetó el seguro — I got the prescription on Medicaid (AmE), I got it on prescription (BrE)

•

- seguro contra or a todo riesgo

- seguro contra or de incendios

- seguro contra terceros

- seguro de desempleo

- seguro de enfermedad

- seguro de vida
III
adverbio

dijo que llegaría mañana seguro — she said she'd definitely be arriving tomorrow

no lo sabe seguro — she doesn't know for sure o certain

seguro que sospecha lo nuestro — I'm sure he suspects we're up to something

¿seguro que basta? - sí, seguro — (are you) sure that's enough? - yes, positive

esta vez dice la verdad - sí, seguro! — (iró) this time he's/she's telling the truth - oh yeah, sure (he/she is)! (colloq & iro)

* * *
I
- ra adjetivo

1)

a) [SER] ( exento de riesgo) safe

ese aeropuerto no es muy seguro — it's not a very safe airport

ese ascensor no es seguro — that elevator is not safe

ponlo en un lugar seguro — put it in a safe place

b) ( estable) secure

un trabajo seguro — a secure job

una inversión segura — a safe o secure investment

esa escalera no está segura — that ladder isn't safe o steady

sobre seguro: un político que sabe jugar sobre seguro a politician who knows how to play safe; sabía que iba sobre seguro — he knew he was onto a sure thing (colloq)

c) [SER] ( fiable)

un método anticonceptivo poco seguro — not a very reliable o safe method of birth control

el cierre de la pulsera es muy seguro — the fastener on the bracelet is very secure

d) [ESTAR] ( a salvo) safe

el dinero estará seguro aquí — the money will be safe here

a su lado se siente seguro — he feels safe when he's beside her

2)

a) [ESTAR] ( convencido) sure

no estoy seguro — I'm not sure

seguro DE algo — sure o certain of something

estoy absolutamente seguro de haberlo dejado aquí — I'm absolutely sure o certain (that) I left it here

no estaba seguro de haber elegido bien — he wasn't sure that he'd made the right choice

b) [SER] ( que no admite duda)

su triunfo es seguro — his victory is assured

iban a una muerte segura — they were heading for certain death

no me han dado fecha segura — they haven't given me a definite day

todavía no es seguro — it's not definite yet

se da por seguro — there seems to be little doubt about it

no te preocupes, seguro que no es nada — don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing

seguro que se le olvida — he's sure o bound to forget

a buen seguro — ( ciertamente) for certain; ( a salvo) safe

guárdalo a buen seguro — keep it safe, put it away for safe keeping

c) ( con confianza en sí mismo) self-assured, self-confident

es una persona muy segura de sí misma — he's a very self-confident person
II
masculino

1)

a) ( mecanismo - de armas) safety catch; (- de una pulsera, un collar) clasp, fastener

poner el seguro — to do up the clasp o fastener

echó el seguro antes de acostarse/arrancar — he locked the door before going to bed/starting the car

b) (Méx) ( imperdible) safety pin

2)

a) ( contrato) insurance

se sacó or se hizo un seguro — she took out insurance o an insurance policy

b) ( Seguridad Social)

el seguro or el Seguro — the state health care system, ≈ Medicaid ( in US), ≈ the National Health Service ( in UK)

se operó por el seguro — he had his operation through Medicaid/on the National Health

me lo recetó el seguro — I got the prescription on Medicaid (AmE), I got it on prescription (BrE)

•

- seguro contra or a todo riesgo

- seguro contra or de incendios

- seguro contra terceros

- seguro de desempleo

- seguro de enfermedad

- seguro de vida
III
adverbio

dijo que llegaría mañana seguro — she said she'd definitely be arriving tomorrow

no lo sabe seguro — she doesn't know for sure o certain

seguro que sospecha lo nuestro — I'm sure he suspects we're up to something

¿seguro que basta? - sí, seguro — (are you) sure that's enough? - yes, positive

esta vez dice la verdad - sí, seguro! — (iró) this time he's/she's telling the truth - oh yeah, sure (he/she is)! (colloq & iro)

* * *

seguro(de)

(adj.) = confident (in)

Ex: Experience of IT in USA is associated not infrequently with the confounding of confident expectations.

seguro¹

¹ = insurance.

Ex: Increasingly worrying to all however were the escalating cost of insurance, servicing and maintenance.

* actuario de seguros = actuary.

* agencias de seguros, las = insurance industry, the.

* agente de seguros = insurance agent, insurer, insurance broker.

* compañía de seguros = insurance company, insurer.

* compañia de seguros de vida = life-insurance company.

* contratación de seguros = insurance broking.

* contratar una póliza de seguros = take out + insurance policy.

* contratar un seguro = take out + insurance policy.

* corredor de seguros = insurance agent, insurance broker.

* hacerse una póliza de seguros = take out + insurance policy.

* hacerse un seguro = take out + insurance policy.

* impreso de solicitud de seguro = insurance form.

* mutua de seguros = mutual insurance company, mutual insurance society.

* oficina de seguros = insurance office.

* plan de seguros = insurance plan.

* póliza de seguro a todo riesgo = all risks cover.

* póliza de seguros = insurance coverage, insurance policy, insurance cover.

* póliza de seguros contra incendios = fire insurance policy.

* prima de seguro = insurance premium.

* seguro a todo riesgo = comprehensive insurance, all-risk insurance.

* seguro con franquicia = insurance with deductible.

* seguro contra indemnizaciones = indemnity policy.

* seguro contra indemnizaciones profesionales = indemnity insurance.

* seguro de automóvil = automobile insurance.

* seguro de coche = car insurance.

* seguro de coche sin determinación de culpabilidad = no-fault auto insurance.

* seguro de enfermedad = health insurance.

* seguro de incapacidad = disability insurance.

* seguro de invalidez = disability insurance.

* seguro de jubilación = retirement fund, retirement plan.

* seguro de la casa = home insurance.

* seguro dental = dental plan, dental insurance.

* seguro de responsabilidad civil = liability insurance.

* seguro de viaje = travel insurance.

* seguro de vida = life insurance.

* seguro de vida a término = term life insurance.

* seguro de vida vitalicio = whole life insurance.

* seguro médico = health insurance plan, health insurance, medical insurance.

* seguro mutualista = mutual insurance.

* seguro mutuo = mutual insurance.

* seguro por pérdida de un miembro del cuerpo = dismemberment insurance.

* seguro sin determinación de culpabilidad = no-fault insurance.

* seguro social = social insurance.

* sociedad de seguros mutuos = provident society, mutual benefit society.

seguro²

² = buffer.

Ex: This article surveys the causes of disintegration and the use of microforms as a buffer against imminent destruction.

seguro³

³ = latch.

Ex: The latch lever is plastic and seems like it might snap right off if you put too much pressure on it.

seguro⁴

= comfortable, dependable, reliable, safe [safer -comp., safest -sup.], secure, sure [surer -comp., surest -sup.], assertive, tight [tighter -comp., tightest -sup.], you bet!.

Ex: A modern comfortable library could look like that in Berlin's Tiergarten, with its opne-air gardens, or resemble Evanston's library with its comfortable chairs and elegant (and, one hopes, safe) fireplaces.

Ex: If the supplier is a dealer, then ensure that this is a reputable and dependable dealer who can provide help with installation, maintenance and support.

Ex: Computers are reliable, and less prone to error provided they are instructed or programmed appropriately and correctly.

Ex: A modern comfortable library could look like that in Berlin's Tiergarten, with its opne-air gardens, or resemble Evanston's library with its comfortable chairs and elegant (and, one hopes, safe) fireplaces.

Ex: An academic library should be secure to control user behaviour and loss of books.

Ex: The surest way to arrive at such a decision is to be guided by principles of helpful citation order.

Ex: I tried to say at the very outset of my remarks that there probably has not been sufficient consumer-like and assertive leverage exerted upon our chief suppliers.

Ex: The platen was lashed up tight to the toe of the spindle by cords which connected hooks at its four corners to another set of hooks at the four lower corners of the hose.

Ex: The article 'Computer games in the learning resources center? you bet!' discusses some of the benefits of using computer games in education.

* accidente seguro = accident waiting to happen.

* algo casi seguro = a sure bet, safe bet.

* algo es seguro = one thing is for sure.

* algo seguro = safe bet.

* blanco seguro = sitting duck.

* camino seguro al desastre = blueprint for disaster.

* camino seguro al éxito = blueprint for success.

* camino seguro al fracaso = blueprint for failure.

* conocer de seguro = know for + certain, know for + sure.

* dar por seguro que = rest + assured that.

* de éxito seguro = sure-fire [surefire].

* demasiado seguro de uno mismo = overconfident.

* deportista lento pero seguro = plodder.

* de seguro = for sure, for certain.

* de un modo seguro = securely.

* en un lugar seguro = in a safe place, in safekeeping.

* en un sitio seguro = in a safe place, in safekeeping.

* estar moviéndose en terreno seguro = be on secure ground.

* estar seguro = be sure, make + sure, set + your watch by.

* estar seguro de = be certain (of), be confident about, feel + confident.

* estar seguro de que = be confident that.

* ir a lo seguro = play it + safe.

* ir sobre seguro = be on secure ground, play it + safe.

* jugar a lo seguro = play it + safe.

* jugar sobre seguro = play it + safe.

* no estar seguro = be uncertain.

* no estar seguro de = be unsure about/of.

* oportunidad casi segura = a sporting chance.

* poco seguro = dicey [dicier -comp., diciest -sup.].

* problema seguro = accident waiting to happen.

* puerto seguro = safe harbour.

* saber de seguro = know for + certain, know for + sure, know for + a fact.

* seguro (de) = confident (in).

* seguro de sí mismo = smug, assured, self-assured, poised.

* seguro de uno mismo = self-confident.

* sentirse más seguro de = gain + confidence (with/in).

* ser algo seguro = be a cinch, be a doddle, be a breeze, be a picnic, be duck soup.

* ser casi seguro = be a good bet.

* ser seguro = be on the cards.

* ser seguro que + Subjuntivo = be bound to + Infinitivo.

* terreno seguro = safe ground, solid ground.

* * *

seguro¹ -ra

adjective

A

1 [ SER] (exento de riesgo) safe

ese aeropuerto no es muy seguro it's not a very safe airport

no te subas a esa escalera, que no es segura don't climb that ladder, it's not safe

ponlo en un lugar seguro put it somewhere safe o in a safe place o in a secure place

buscan la inversión más segura they are looking for the safest o most secure investment

2 [ ESTAR] (estable) secure

tiene un trabajo bastante seguro she has a fairly secure job

esa escalera no está segura that ladder isn't safe o steady

el cuadro no se va a caer, está bien seguro the picture isn't going to fall, it's quite secure

ir a la segura: un lugar donde el que gusta comer bien va a la seguro a place which is a safe bet for people who like good food

sobre seguro: un político que sabe jugar sobre seguro a politician who knows how to play safe

sabía que iba sobre seguro he knew he was onto a sure thing o he knew it was a safe bet ( colloq)

3 [ SER]

(fiable): un método poco seguro para controlar la natalidad not a very reliable o safe method of birth control

el cierre de la pulsera es muy seguro the fastener on the bracelet is very secure

4 [ ESTAR] (a salvo) safe

el dinero estará seguro aquí the money will be safe here

aquí estarás seguro you'll be safe here

a su lado se siente seguro he feels safe when he's beside her

B

1 [ ESTAR] (convencido) sure

¿estás seguro? are you sure?

no estoy muy seguro, pero creo que ése es su nombre I'm not really sure but I think that's his name

seguro DE algo:

estoy absolutamente seguro de haberlo dejado aquí I'm absolutely sure o certain (that) I left it here

no estaba seguro de haber elegido bien he wasn't sure that he'd made the right choice

no estés tan seguro de eso don't (you) be so sure of that

estoy seguro de que vendrá I'm sure she'll come

estoy completamente segura de que te lo di I'm absolutely sure o I'm positive I gave it to you

2 [ SER]

(que no admite duda): su triunfo es seguro his victory is assured

iban a una muerte segura they were heading for certain death

todavía no es seguro pero creo que lo traerán it's not definite but I think they'll bring it

se da por seguro que ganarán it's seen as a foregone conclusion o there seems to be little doubt that they'll win

da por seguro que tan pronto como llegue se pondrá en contacto contigo you can be sure o rest assured that she'll contact you as soon as she arrives

lo más seguro es que no oyó el despertador he probably didn't hear the alarm clock

no te preocupes, seguro que no es nada don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing

a buen seguro (ciertamente) for certain; (a salvo) safe

guárdalo a buen seguro keep it safe, put it away for safe keeping

3 (con confianza en sí mismo) self-assured, self-confident

es una persona muy segura de sí misma he's a very confident o self-confident o self-assured person

seguro²

masculine

A

1 (mecanismo — de armas) safety catch; (— de una pulsera, un collar) clasp, fastener

no puse el seguro y se me cayó I didn't do up the clasp o fastener and it fell off

echó el seguro antes de acostarse/arrancar he locked the door before going to bed/starting the car

2 ( Méx) (imperdible) safety pin

Compuesto:

seguro antirrobo

(de coche) steering o wheel lock; (de bicicleta) wheel lock

B

1 (contrato) insurance

se sacó or se hizo un seguro she took out insurance o an insurance policy

2

(Seguridad Social): el seguro or el Seguro the state health care system, ≈ Medicaid ( in US), ≈ the National Health Service ( in UK)

¿cuando te operaste ibas particular o por el seguro? when you had your operation did you go private or have it done through Medicaid/on the National Health?

Compuestos:

● seguro ahorro

endowment insurance

● seguro catastrófico

(Chi, Col) insurance against illnesses which entail high treatment costs

● seguro contra or a todo riesgo

comprehensive insurance, all-risks insurance

● seguro contra or de incendios

fire insurance

● seguro contra terceros

liability insurance ( AmE), third-party insurance ( BrE)

● seguro de accidentes

accident insurance

● seguro de desempleo

unemployment benefit

● seguro de enfermedad

medical insurance, health insurance

● seguro de viaje

travel insurance

● seguro de vida

life assurance, life insurance

● seguro personal de accidentes

personal accident insurance

● seguro social

social insurance

● seguro temporal

term assurance

seguro³

adverb

dijo que llegaría mañana seguro she said she'd definitely be arriving tomorrow

no ha dicho seguro si vendrá he hasn't said definitely o for certain whether he's coming

no lo sabe seguro she doesn't know for sure o certain

seguro que sospecha lo nuestro I'm sure he suspects we're up to something

seguro que llamó y no estábamos I bet she called and we weren't in

¿seguro que tienes suficiente dinero? — sí, seguro (are you) sure you have enough money? — yes, positive

estoy convencido de que esta vez dice la verdad — ¡sí, seguro! ( iró); I'm convinced that this time he's telling the truth — oh yeah, sure (he is)! ( colloq iro)

* * *

seguro 1
◊ -ra adjetivo

1
a) [SER] ( exento de riesgo) safe;

◊ en un lugar seguro in a safe place

b) ( estable) secure;

◊ un trabajo seguro a secure job;

esa escalera no está segura that ladder isn't safe o steady
c) [SER] ( fiable) ‹test/método› reliable;

‹ anticonceptivo› safe;
◊ el cierre de la pulsera es muy seguro the fastener on the bracelet is very secure

d) [ESTAR] ( a salvo) safe

2
a) [ESTAR] ( convencido) sure;

◊ no estoy seguro I'm not sure;

seguro DE algo sure o certain of sth
b) [SER] ( que no admite duda) ‹muerte/victoria› certain;

‹ fecha› definite;
◊ todavía no es seguro it's not definite yet;

no te preocupes, seguro que no es nada don't worry, I'm sure it's nothing;
seguro que se le olvida he's sure o bound to forget
c) ( con confianza en sí mismo) self-assured, self-confident

seguro 2 sustantivo masculino
1
a) ( mecanismo — de armas) safety catch;

(— de pulsera, collar) clasp, fastener;
◊ echó el seguro antes de acostarse he locked the door before going to bed

b) (Méx) ( imperdible) safety pin

2
a) ( contrato) insurance;

seguro contra or a todo riesgo comprehensive insurance, all-risks insurance;
seguro contra or de incendios fire insurance;
◊ seguro de desempleo unemployment benefit;

seguro de viaje travel insurance;
seguro de vida life assurance, life insurance
b) ( Seguridad Social): el seguro or el Sseguro the state health care system, ≈ Medicaid ( in US), ≈ the National Health Service ( in UK)

■ adverbio:
◊ dijo que llegaría mañana seguro she said she'd definitely be arriving tomorrow;

no lo sabe seguro she doesn't know for sure o certain;
seguro que sospecha lo nuestro I'm sure he suspects we're up to something
seguro,-a
I adjetivo
1 es una persona muy segura (de sí misma), he's very self-confident
2 (convencido, sin dudas) sure, definite: estaba segura de que vendrías, I was sure you would come
3 (garantizado, cierto) assured: su dimisión es prácticamente segura, his resignation is almost certain
4 (sin peligro) safe
un lugar seguro, a safe place
5 (sin temor, riesgo) secure: no se siente seguro, he doesn't feel secure
es una inversión muy segura, it's a safe investment
6 (paso, voz) steady, firm
II sustantivo masculino
1 Com insurance
seguro a todo riesgo, fully comprehensive insurance
seguro de vida, life insurance
2 (de un arma) safety catch o device
(de una puerta) pásale el seguro a la puerta, bolt the door
III adverbio for sure, definitely
♦ Locuciones: ir sobre seguro, to play safe
tener algo por seguro, to be sure of sthg

' seguro' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
asegurarse
- cierta
- cierto
- cobertura
- confiada
- confiado
- esperar
- liquidez
- ocho
- prima
- riesgo
- santuario
- segura
- servidor
- servidora
- sexo
- sí
- tener
- asegurado
- bien
- confiar
- desenfadado
- montaje
- ojalá
- que
- tercero
English:
agenda
- assurance
- back up
- bet
- bound
- burglar alarm
- certain
- claim
- clear
- comprehensive
- confident
- dead
- define
- dependable
- doubt
- endowment
- extortionate
- insurance
- insurance premium
- itemize
- life insurance
- low-cost
- ought
- overconfident
- play
- policy
- positive
- premium
- quite
- safe
- safety
- safety catch
- secure
- self-assured
- self-confident
- steadily
- steady
- sure
- travel insurance
- uncertain
- unsure
- certainly
- certainty
- death
- definite
- definitely
- diffident
- dollar
- health
- including

* * *

seguro, -a

♦ adj

1. [sin peligro] safe;

el medio de transporte más seguro the safest means of transport;

¿es éste un lugar seguro? is it safe here?;

aquí estaremos seguros we'll be safe here;

es una inversión segura it's a safe investment;

prefiero ir sobre seguro I'd rather play (it) safe;

más vale ir sobre seguro y llamar antes we'd better ring first, to be safe

2. [protegido, estable] secure;

un trabajo seguro a secure job;

esta mesa no está segura this table isn't very steady;

¿irán las botellas seguras ahí atrás? are the bottles safe in the back there?

3. [fiable, infalible] reliable;

un método seguro para combatir o [m5] contra los catarros a sure-fire cure for colds

4. [indudable, cierto] definite, certain;

creo que sí, pero no es seguro I think so, but I'm not certain o but it's not definite;

su nombramiento es seguro he's certain to be given the post;

ya sabemos la fecha segura de su llegada we've now got a definite date for his arrival;

no es seguro que vengan they're not definitely coming, they're not certain to come;

lo puedes dar por seguro you can be sure of it;

ya daban la victoria por segura they were sure that they had won;

tener por seguro que… to be sure (that)…;

ten por seguro que vendrá you can be sure (that) she'll come;

¿crees que nos ayudará? – a buen seguro, de seguro do you think she'll help us? – I'm sure she will;

a buen seguro que pone alguna pega he's certain to find something wrong with it

5. [convencido] sure;

¿estás seguro? are you sure?;

no estoy muy seguro I'm not too sure;

estar seguro de algo to be sure about o of sth;

estoy seguro de ello I'm sure of it;

estamos seguros de que te gustará we're sure you'll like it;

no estoy seguro de habérselo dicho I'm not sure I told him;

estaba segura de vencer she was confident of winning

6. [con confianza en uno mismo] self-assured, self-confident;

se le ve un tipo muy seguro he's very self-assured o self-confident;

ser seguro de sí mismo, ser una persona segura de sí misma to be self-assured o self-confident

♦ nm

1. [contrato] insurance;

contratar o [m5] hacerse un seguro to take out insurance

Comp
seguro de accidentes accident insurance;
seguro de asistencia en viaje travel insurance;

seguro del automóvil car insurance;

seguro de cambio exchange rate hedge;

seguro de la casa buildings insurance;

seguro de enfermedad private health insurance;

seguro de hogar buildings insurance;

seguro de o contra incendios fire insurance;

seguro médico private health insurance;

seguro multirriesgo comprehensive insurance;

seguro mutuo joint insurance;

seguro de responsabilidad civil liability insurance;

seguro a todo riesgo comprehensive insurance;

seguro a terceros liability insurance;

seguro de viaje travel insurance;

seguro de vida life insurance o assurance

2. Fam
el seguro [la seguridad social] Br ≈ the National Health, US ≈ Medicaid;

ir al seguro to go to the hospital;

ese tratamiento no lo cubre el seguro ≈ you can't get that treatment on Br the National Health o US Medicaid

Comp
seguro de desempleo unemployment benefit;
seguro de incapacidad disability benefit;

seguro de invalidez disability benefit;

seguro de paro unemployment benefit

3. [dispositivo] safety device;
[de armas] safety catch; [en automóvil] door lock catch;
echa o [m5] pon el seguro lock the car door

4. CAm, Méx [imperdible] safety pin

♦ adv

for sure, definitely;

¿vienes seguro? are you definitely coming?;

no lo sé seguro I don't know for sure;

seguro que vendrá she's bound o certain o sure to come;

seguro que suspendo I'm bound o certain o sure to fail;

seguro que ahora va y se lo cuenta todo a ella I bet she's going to go and tell her everything;

¿seguro que no necesitas nada? – sí, sí, seguro are you sure you don't need anything? – yes, I'm sure

* * *

seguro

I adj

1 tratamiento, puente safe;

ir sobre seguro be on the safe side

2 ( estable) steady

3 ( cierto) sure;

es seguro it’s a certainty;

dar algo por seguro be sure about sth;

no estoy tan seguro I’m not so sure;

a buen seguro definitely

4 persona

:

seguro de sí mismo self-confident, sure of o.s.

II adv for sure

III m

1 COM insurance

2 de puerta, coche lock;

poner el seguro lock the door

3 L.Am.

para ropa etc safety pin

* * *

seguro adv

: certainly, definitely

va a llover, seguro: it's going to rain for sure

¡seguro que sí!: of course!

seguro, -ra adj

1) : safe, secure

2) : sure, certain

estoy segura que es él: I'm sure that's him

3) : reliable, trustworthy

4) : self-assured

seguro nm

1) : insurance

seguro de vida: life insurance

2) : fastener, clasp

3) Mex : safety pin

* * *

seguro¹ adj

1. (en general) safe

las medicinas deben guardarse en un lugar seguro medicine must be kept in a safe place

2. (estable) secure

tiene un trabajo seguro he's got a secure job

3. (convencido) sure

estoy seguro de que no va a defraudarnos I'm sure he won't let us down

seguro² adv for certain

lo sé seguro I know for certain

seguro que... I bet... / to be bound...

seguro que se ha olvidado I bet he's forgotten / he's bound to have forgotten

seguro³ n

1. (contrato) insurance

me he hecho un seguro de vida I've taken out life insurance

2. (mecanismo) safety catch

echó el seguro de las puertas del coche he put the safety catch on the car doors

Spanish-English dictionary > seguro

6 alcanzar

v.

1 to catch up with (igualarse con).

¿a que no me alcanzas? bet you can't catch me!

Yo alcanzo a Ricardo I catch up with Richard.

2 to reach (llegar a).

alcanzar la meta to reach the finishing line

lo alcancé con una escalera I used a ladder to reach it

alcanzó la costa a nado he swam to the coast

este coche alcanza los 200 km/h this car can do up to o reach 200 km/h

el desempleo ha alcanzado un máximo histórico unemployment is at o has reached an all-time high

3 to achieve (lograr) (objetivo).

alcanzar la fama/el éxito to achieve fame/success

4 to hit.

le alcanzaron dos disparos he was hit by two shots

5 to reach up to, to reach, to reach at, to get at.

Yo alcanzo el techo I reach up to the ceiling.

6 to have enough.

Me alcanzó la gasolina I had enough gas.

7 to attain, to come to, to achieve, to get.

Alcanzo la felicidad I attain happiness.

8 to get to, to come up to, to come to.

Alcancé la frontera I got to the border.

9 to reach up for, to get.

Yo alcancé la caja sobre el armario I reached up for the box above the armoire.

10 to manage to, to be able to, to get to.

Mario alcanzó ver el ocaso Mario managed to see the sunset.

11 to be enough.

Alcanzó la comida There was enough food.

12 to fit.

Yo alcanzo I fit

13 to pass, to hand, to hand over.

María alcanzó la sal Mary passed the salt.

* * *

alcanzar

Conjugation model [ REALIZAR], like realizar

► verbo transitivo

1 (gen) to reach

■ no alcanzo el libro I can't reach the book

2 (persona) to catch up, catch up with

■ los alcanzamos en la esquina we'll catch up with them at the corner

3 (pasar) to pass, hand over

■ alcánzame el agua pass me some water

4 (entender) to understand, grasp

5 (conseguir) to attain, achieve

■ alcanzamos los objetivos we achieved the goals

6 (golpear) to hit

■ el tiro la alcanzó en el pie the shot hit her in the foot

7 (afectar) to affect

■ eso no nos alcanza it doesn't affect us

► verbo intransitivo

1 (ser suficiente) to be sufficient ( para, for), be enough ( para, for), suffice ( para, for)

■ eso no alcanza para todos that's not enough for all of us

2 (ser capaz) to manage, succeed

■ no alcanzo a verlo I can't see it

* * *

verb

1) to reach

2) catch up with

3) achieve, attain

4) suffice, be enough

* * *

1. VT

1) [en carrera]

a) [+ persona] (=llegar a la altura de) to catch up (with)

la alcancé cuando salía por la puerta — I caught up with her o I caught her up just as she was going out of the door

están a punto de alcanzar al grupo de cabeza — they are about to catch (up with) the leading group

dentro de poco alcanzará a su padre en altura — he'll soon be as tall as his father

b) [+ ladrón, autobús, tren] to catch

no nos alcanzarán nunca — they'll never catch us

2) (=llegar a) [+ cima, límite, edad] to reach

por fin alcanzaron la cima — they finally reached the summit

alcanzó las cajas con un palo — she reached the boxes with a stick

puede alcanzar una velocidad de 200km/h — it can reach speeds of up to 200km/h

alcanzó el rango de general — he reached the rank of general

la producción ha alcanzado las 20 toneladas — production has reached 20 tons

el libro ha alcanzado ya las seis ediciones — the book is already in its sixth edition

las montañas alcanzan los 5.000m — the mountains rise to 5,000m

el termómetro llegó a alcanzar los cuarenta grados — temperatures rose as high as forty degrees

• alcanzar la mayoría de edad — to come of age

• alcanzó la orilla a nado — he made it to the shore by swimming, he swam back to the shore

• no llegó a alcanzar la pubertad — he never made it as far as puberty

3) (=conseguir) [+ acuerdo] to reach; [+ éxito, objetivo] to achieve

el acuerdo fue alcanzado tras muchos meses de conversaciones — the agreement was reached after many months of talks

las expectativas no se corresponden con los resultados alcanzados — the expectations are out of proportion with the results that have been achieved

• alcanzar la fama — to find fame, become famous

alcanzar la paz — to achieve peace

4) (=afectar) to affect

el cambio nos alcanzará a todos — the change will affect us all

una ley que alcanza sobre todo a los jubilados — a law which mainly affects o hits pensioners

5) [bala] to hit

uno de los dos disparos alcanzó al presidente — the president was hit by one of the two shots

la lancha fue alcanzada por un obús — the launch was hit by a shell

6) esp LAm (=dar) to pass

alcánzame la sal, por favor — could you pass (me) the salt, please?

¿me alcanzas las tijeras? — could you pass me the scissors?

7) * (=entender) to grasp, understand

no alcanza más allá de lo que le han enseñado — he's only capable of understanding what he's been taught

2. VI

1) (=llegar) to reach (a, hasta as far as)

no alcanzo — I can't reach

no alcanzaba al timbre — she couldn't reach (as far as) the doorbell

• hasta donde alcanza la vista — as far as the eye can see

2)

• alcanzar a hacer algo — to manage to do sth

no alcancé a verlo — I didn't manage to see him

no alcanzo a ver cómo pudo suceder — I can't see how it can have happened

no alcanzo a comprender sus razones — I just can't understand her reasons

3) (=ser suficiente) to be enough

• con dos botellas alcanzará para todos — two bottles will be enough for everyone

el sueldo no me alcanza para nada — I can't make ends meet on my salary

¿te alcanza para el tren? — esp LAm have you got enough money for the train?

4) LAm (=ascender)

¿a cuánto alcanza todo? — how much does it all come to?

* * *
1.
verbo transitivo

1)

a) < persona> ( llegar a la altura de) to catch up with, to catch... up (BrE); (pillar, agarrar) to catch

lo alcancé en la curva — I caught up with him on the bend

a que no me alcanzas! — I bet you can't catch me! (colloq)

b) (en tarea, estatura) to catch up with

2) ( llegar a) < lugar> to reach, get to; <temperatura/nivel/edad> to reach

a pesar del tráfico alcancé el avión — despite the traffic I managed to catch the plane

casi no alcanzo el tren — I almost missed the train

lo alcancé con un palo — I used a pole to get at it o reach it

estos árboles alcanzan una gran altura — these trees can reach o grow to a great height

alcanza una velocidad de... — it reaches a speed of...

alcanza enormes distancias — it covers vast distances

alcanzar la mayoría de edad — to come of age

3) (conseguir, obtener) <objetivo/éxito> to achieve; < acuerdo> to reach

se pretende alcanzar los 100 millones de pesos — they are hoping to reach a target of 100 million pesos

4) (acercar, pasar)

alcanzarle algo a alguien — to pass somebody something, to pass something to somebody

¿me alcanzas el libro? — could you pass me the book?

5)

a) bala/misil to hit

fue alcanzado por un misil — it was hit by a missile

b) ( afectar) to affect

la medida ha alcanzado a la clase trabajadora — the measure has affected the working classes
2.
alcanzar vi

1) ( llegar)

está muy alto, no alcanzo — it's too high, I can't reach it

hasta donde alcanzaba la vista — as far as the eye could see

alcanzar a + inf — to manage to + inf

no alcanzó a terminar — she didn't manage to finish

hasta donde alcanzo a ver — as far as I can see

2) ( ser suficiente) comida/provisones to be enough

el sueldo no le alcanza — he can't manage on his salary

me alcanzará hasta final de mes — it will see me through to the end of the month

con una limpiadita, alcanza — just a quick clean will do

* * *

= attain, gain, reach, run to, catch up with, reach for.

Ex. A fully comparative account of recommendations for filing orders is likely to prove confusing until the reader has attained some familiarity with the general problems, and the solutions offered by one code.

Ex. To many, therefore, this emphasis on information can provide a much-needed opportunity to gain the public library new influence and respect.

Ex. This is in part due to the different stages of development reached by different libraries.

Ex. Obviously a book on the chemistry of mercury which runs to 200 pages will give less detail than one which runs to 600 pages.

Ex. The information centre is now catching up with the belief of its 1984 architect that it would be an electronic library.

Ex. She said that a man came in with a ski mask on but that she was able to scare him away when she reached for a baseball bat.

----

* alcanzar a ver = glimpse.

* alcanzar + Cantidad = run into + Cantidad.

* alcanzar cotas más altas = raise to + greater heights.

* alcanzar dimensiones épicas = reach + epic proportions.

* alcanzar el culmen de = reach + the pinnacle of, reach + the height of.

* alcanzar el destino de Uno = reach + Posesivo + destination.

* alcanzar el estrellato = rise to + stardom, reach + stardom.

* alcanzar el límite de = reach + the limits of.

* alcanzar el límite de + Posesivo + capacidad = stretch + Nombre + beyond the breaking point, stretch + Nombre + to breaking point, stretch + Nombre + to the limit.

* alcanzar el límite de + Posesivo + posibilidades = reach + the limits of + Posesivo + potential.

* alcanzar el máximo = reach + a head.

* alcanzar el momento cumbre = reach + summit.

* alcanzar el punto crítico = come to + a head.

* alcanzar el punto culminante = climax.

* alcanzar el punto de ebullición = reach + boiling point.

* alcanzar el punto más álgido = peak, come into + full bloom.

* alcanzar la cifra de = total.

* alcanzar la cumbre de = reach + the pinnacle of, reach + the height of.

* alcanzar la cúspide de = reach + the pinnacle of, reach + the height of.

* alcanzar la fama = rise to + stardom, reach + stardom.

* alcanzar la madurez = come to + maturity, bring to + maturity, achieve + maturity, reach + maturity.

* alcanzar la mayoría de edad = come of + age.

* alcanzar la plenitud = come to + full flower.

* alcanzar masa crítica = reach + critical mass, achieve + critical mass.

* alcanzar mayores cotas = rise to + greater heights.

* alcanzar niveles mínimos = reach + a low ebb.

* alcanzar popularidad = catch on.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + apogeo = peak.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + fin = reach + Posesivo + end.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + mejor momento = peak.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + mejor momento demasiado pronto = peak + too early.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + punto álgido = reach + Posesivo + peak.

* alcanzar proporciones alarmantes = reach + alarming proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones catastróficas = reach + catastrophic proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones de crisis = grow to + crisis proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones desmesuradas = reach + epic proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones épicas = reach + epic proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones exageradas = reach + epic proportions.

* alcanzar su auge = reach + Posesivo + height.

* alcanzar una conclusión = reach + conclusion, arrive at + conclusion.

* alcanzar una cota = hit + high.

* alcanzar una coyuntura crítica = reach + a critical juncture.

* alcanzar un acuerdo = reach + agreement, reach + compromise, hammer out + agreement.

* alcanzar una decisión = arrive at + decision.

* alcanzar una meta = accomplish + goal, achieve + goal, meet + Posesivo + goal.

* alcanzar una solución = arrive at + a solution.

* alcanzar un compromiso = reach + agreement.

* alcanzar un objetivo = attain + goal.

* alcanzar un precio = fetch + Dinero.

* hasta donde alcance = to the limits of.

* hasta donde alcanza la vista = as far as the eye can see.

* intentar alcanzar = reach for.

* no alcanzar a + Infinitivo (con mucho) = fall (far) short of + Gerundio.

* un medio para alcanzar un fin = a means to an end.

* * *
1.
verbo transitivo

1)

a) < persona> ( llegar a la altura de) to catch up with, to catch... up (BrE); (pillar, agarrar) to catch

lo alcancé en la curva — I caught up with him on the bend

a que no me alcanzas! — I bet you can't catch me! (colloq)

b) (en tarea, estatura) to catch up with

2) ( llegar a) < lugar> to reach, get to; <temperatura/nivel/edad> to reach

a pesar del tráfico alcancé el avión — despite the traffic I managed to catch the plane

casi no alcanzo el tren — I almost missed the train

lo alcancé con un palo — I used a pole to get at it o reach it

estos árboles alcanzan una gran altura — these trees can reach o grow to a great height

alcanza una velocidad de... — it reaches a speed of...

alcanza enormes distancias — it covers vast distances

alcanzar la mayoría de edad — to come of age

3) (conseguir, obtener) <objetivo/éxito> to achieve; < acuerdo> to reach

se pretende alcanzar los 100 millones de pesos — they are hoping to reach a target of 100 million pesos

4) (acercar, pasar)

alcanzarle algo a alguien — to pass somebody something, to pass something to somebody

¿me alcanzas el libro? — could you pass me the book?

5)

a) bala/misil to hit

fue alcanzado por un misil — it was hit by a missile

b) ( afectar) to affect

la medida ha alcanzado a la clase trabajadora — the measure has affected the working classes
2.
alcanzar vi

1) ( llegar)

está muy alto, no alcanzo — it's too high, I can't reach it

hasta donde alcanzaba la vista — as far as the eye could see

alcanzar a + inf — to manage to + inf

no alcanzó a terminar — she didn't manage to finish

hasta donde alcanzo a ver — as far as I can see

2) ( ser suficiente) comida/provisones to be enough

el sueldo no le alcanza — he can't manage on his salary

me alcanzará hasta final de mes — it will see me through to the end of the month

con una limpiadita, alcanza — just a quick clean will do

* * *

= attain, gain, reach, run to, catch up with, reach for.

Ex: A fully comparative account of recommendations for filing orders is likely to prove confusing until the reader has attained some familiarity with the general problems, and the solutions offered by one code.

Ex: To many, therefore, this emphasis on information can provide a much-needed opportunity to gain the public library new influence and respect.

Ex: This is in part due to the different stages of development reached by different libraries.

Ex: Obviously a book on the chemistry of mercury which runs to 200 pages will give less detail than one which runs to 600 pages.

Ex: The information centre is now catching up with the belief of its 1984 architect that it would be an electronic library.

Ex: She said that a man came in with a ski mask on but that she was able to scare him away when she reached for a baseball bat.

* alcanzar a ver = glimpse.

* alcanzar + Cantidad = run into + Cantidad.

* alcanzar cotas más altas = raise to + greater heights.

* alcanzar dimensiones épicas = reach + epic proportions.

* alcanzar el culmen de = reach + the pinnacle of, reach + the height of.

* alcanzar el destino de Uno = reach + Posesivo + destination.

* alcanzar el estrellato = rise to + stardom, reach + stardom.

* alcanzar el límite de = reach + the limits of.

* alcanzar el límite de + Posesivo + capacidad = stretch + Nombre + beyond the breaking point, stretch + Nombre + to breaking point, stretch + Nombre + to the limit.

* alcanzar el límite de + Posesivo + posibilidades = reach + the limits of + Posesivo + potential.

* alcanzar el máximo = reach + a head.

* alcanzar el momento cumbre = reach + summit.

* alcanzar el punto crítico = come to + a head.

* alcanzar el punto culminante = climax.

* alcanzar el punto de ebullición = reach + boiling point.

* alcanzar el punto más álgido = peak, come into + full bloom.

* alcanzar la cifra de = total.

* alcanzar la cumbre de = reach + the pinnacle of, reach + the height of.

* alcanzar la cúspide de = reach + the pinnacle of, reach + the height of.

* alcanzar la fama = rise to + stardom, reach + stardom.

* alcanzar la madurez = come to + maturity, bring to + maturity, achieve + maturity, reach + maturity.

* alcanzar la mayoría de edad = come of + age.

* alcanzar la plenitud = come to + full flower.

* alcanzar masa crítica = reach + critical mass, achieve + critical mass.

* alcanzar mayores cotas = rise to + greater heights.

* alcanzar niveles mínimos = reach + a low ebb.

* alcanzar popularidad = catch on.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + apogeo = peak.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + fin = reach + Posesivo + end.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + mejor momento = peak.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + mejor momento demasiado pronto = peak + too early.

* alcanzar + Posesivo + punto álgido = reach + Posesivo + peak.

* alcanzar proporciones alarmantes = reach + alarming proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones catastróficas = reach + catastrophic proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones de crisis = grow to + crisis proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones desmesuradas = reach + epic proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones épicas = reach + epic proportions.

* alcanzar proporciones exageradas = reach + epic proportions.

* alcanzar su auge = reach + Posesivo + height.

* alcanzar una conclusión = reach + conclusion, arrive at + conclusion.

* alcanzar una cota = hit + high.

* alcanzar una coyuntura crítica = reach + a critical juncture.

* alcanzar un acuerdo = reach + agreement, reach + compromise, hammer out + agreement.

* alcanzar una decisión = arrive at + decision.

* alcanzar una meta = accomplish + goal, achieve + goal, meet + Posesivo + goal.

* alcanzar una solución = arrive at + a solution.

* alcanzar un compromiso = reach + agreement.

* alcanzar un objetivo = attain + goal.

* alcanzar un precio = fetch + Dinero.

* hasta donde alcance = to the limits of.

* hasta donde alcanza la vista = as far as the eye can see.

* intentar alcanzar = reach for.

* no alcanzar a + Infinitivo (con mucho) = fall (far) short of + Gerundio.

* un medio para alcanzar un fin = a means to an end.

* * *

alcanzar [A4 ]

vt

A

1 ‹persona› (llegar a la altura de) to catch up with, to catch … up ( BrE); (pillar, agarrar) to catch

a este paso no los vamos a alcanzar nunca at this rate we'll never catch up with them o catch them up

¡a que no me alcanzas! bet you can't catch me! ( colloq)

2 (en los estudios, en una tarea) to catch … up, to catch up with; (en estatura) to catch up with

empecé después que tú y ya te alcancé I started after you and I've caught up with you already

¡qué alto está! cualquier día alcanzará a su hermano look how tall he's getting! he'll be catching up with his brother soon!

B

1 ‹lugar› to reach, get to

los bomberos habían logrado alcanzar el segundo piso the firemen had managed to reach o get up to the second floor

a pesar del tráfico alcancé el avión/tren despite the traffic I managed to catch the plane/train

lo alcancé con un palo I used a pole to get at it o reach it

2 ‹temperatura› to reach; ‹edad/pubertad› to reach

el termómetro alcanzó los 40 grados the thermometer got up to o reached o registered 40 degrees

estos árboles alcanzan una gran altura these trees can reach o grow to a great height

algunos lagos alcanzan los 300 metros de profundidad some lakes are as deep as 300 meters o reach depths of 300 meters

un libro donde la estupidez alcanza su máxima expresión a book in which stupidity reaches its peak o which is the ultimate in stupidity

el aire expulsado alcanza una velocidad de 120 km/h the air expelled reaches a speed of 120 kph

el proyectil alcanzaba distancias de casi 1.000 metros the projectile could reach distances of o had a range of almost 1,000 meters

alcanzar la mayoría de edad to come of age, to reach the age of majority

3 (conseguir, obtener) ‹objetivo/resultado› to achieve; ‹acuerdo› to reach; ‹fama/éxito› to achieve

alcanzó todas las metas que se propuso en la vida he achieved all the goals he set himself in life

los resultados alcanzados hasta ahora son excelentes the results achieved o attained up to now have been excellent

los acuerdos alcanzados en materia de desarme the agreements reached in the field of disarmament

se pretende alcanzar una recaudación de 100 millones de pesos they are hoping to take in ( AmE) o ( BrE) take as much as 100 million pesos

los candidatos no alcanzaban el nivel requerido the candidates did not reach o meet the required standard

C (acercar, pasar) alcanzarle algo A algn to pass sb sth, to pass sth TO sb

¿me alcanzas ese libro? could you pass me that book?

D

1 «bala/misil» to hit

el número de barcos alcanzados por misiles the number of ships hit by missiles

2

(afectar): la medida ha alcanzado a la clase trabajadora the measure has affected the working classes

■ alcanzar

vi

A

(llegar): está muy alto, no alcanzo it's too high, I can't reach it

hasta donde alcanzaba la vista as far as the eye could see

alcanzar A + INF to manage to + INF

no alcanzó a terminar she didn't manage to finish

hasta donde alcanzo a ver, la situación no tiene arreglo as far as I can see there's no solution

algo que la mente humana no alcanza a entender something which the human mind cannot comprehend

B

(ser suficiente): el pollo no alcanzará para todos there won't be enough chicken for everyone o to go round

el sueldo no le alcanza he can't manage o get by on his salary

me alcanzará hasta final de mes it will see me through to the end of the month

no me alcanza el papel para envolver el regalo I haven't got enough paper to wrap the present in

con que le des una limpiadita, alcanza if you give it a quick clean, that will do o that will be good enough

* * *

alcanzar ( conjugate alcanzar) verbo transitivo
1
a) ‹ persona› ( llegar a la altura de) to catch up with, to catch … up (BrE);

(pillar, agarrar) to catch;
◊ lo alcancé en la curva I caught up with him on the bend;

¡a que no me alcanzas! I bet you can't catch me! (colloq)
b) (en tarea, estatura) to catch up with

2 ( llegar a) ‹ lugar› to reach, get to;
‹temperatura/nivel/edad› to reach;
◊ casi no alcanzo el tren I almost missed the train;

estos árboles alcanzan una gran altura these trees can reach o grow to a great height;
alcanzar la mayoría de edad to come of age
3 (conseguir, obtener) ‹objetivo/éxito› to achieve;
‹ acuerdo› to reach
4 (acercar, pasar) alcanzarle algo a algn to pass sb sth, to pass sth to sb
verbo intransitivo
1 ( llegar con la mano) to reach;
◊ hasta donde alcanzaba la vista as far as the eye could see;

alcanzar a hacer algo to manage to do sth
2 ( ser suficiente) [comida/provisones] to be enough;
◊ el sueldo no le alcanza he can't manage on his salary

alcanzar
I verbo transitivo
1 to reach
2 (coger a una persona) to catch up with
3 (llegar hasta una cantidad) to be up to: su biblioteca alcanza los tres mil ejemplares, his library is up to three thousand volumes
4 (acercar algo) to pass: alcánzame una silla, pass me a chair
5 (lograr) to attain, achieve
II vi (ser suficiente) to be sufficient: ese dinero no alcanza para un piso, this money isn't enough to buy a flat
' alcanzar' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
atinar
- cobrar
- conseguir
- llegar
- situarse
- alargar
- caza
- cumplir
- dar
English:
achieve
- arm-twisting
- attain
- authoritarian
- blossom
- catch up
- come up to
- get at
- last
- means
- reach
- rise
- short
- strike
- catch
- come
- command
- do
- eke out
- elusive
- fulfill
- glimpse
- hit
- level
- manageable
- see
- stretch
- strive

* * *

alcanzar

♦ vt

1. [igualarse con] to catch up with;

si estudias duro, alcanzarás a tu hermana if you study hard you'll catch up with your sister;

¿a que no me alcanzas? bet you can't catch me!;

vayan ustedes delante que ya los alcanzaré you go on ahead, I'll catch you up

2. [llegar a] to reach;
[autobús, tren] to manage to catch;
alcanzar el autobús to catch the bus;

lo alcancé con una escalera I used a ladder to reach it;

los termómetros alcanzarán mañana los 30 grados the temperature tomorrow will reach o go as high as 30 degrees;

alcanzar la mayoría de edad to come of age;

alcanzar la meta to reach the finishing line;

alcanzar un precio alto [en subasta] to sell for o obtain a high price;

alcanzó la costa a nado he swam to the coast;

su sueldo no alcanza el salario mínimo she earns less than the minimum wage;

este coche alcanza los 200 km/h this car can do up to o reach 200 km/h;

el desempleo ha alcanzado un máximo histórico unemployment is at o has reached an all-time high

3. [lograr] to obtain;

alcanzar un objetivo to achieve a goal;

alcanzó su sueño tras años de trabajo after years of work, he achieved his dream;

el equipo alcanzó su segundo campeonato consecutivo the team won o achieved their second championship in a row;

alcanzar la fama/el éxito to achieve fame/success;

alcanzar la madurez to come of age, to reach maturity

4. [entregar] to pass;

alcánzame la sal could you pass me the salt?;

alcánzame ese jarrón, que no llego hasta el estante could you get that vase down for me, I can't reach the shelf

5. [golpear, dar] to hit;

el proyectil alcanzó de lleno el centro de la ciudad the shell exploded right in the centre of the city;

le alcanzaron dos disparos he was hit by two shots;

el árbol fue alcanzado por un rayo the tree was struck by lightning

6. [afectar] to affect;

la epidemia no les alcanzó they were unaffected by the epidemic;

la sequía no alcanza a esta provincia this province has been untouched by the drought

♦ vi

1. [ser suficiente]
alcanzar para algo/alguien to be enough for sth/sb;

el sueldo no me alcanza para llegar a fin de mes my salary isn't enough to make ends meet;

no sé si alcanzará para todos I don't know if there'll be enough for everyone

2. [poder]
alcanzar a hacer algo to manage to do sth;

alcancé a verlo unos segundos I managed to see him for a few seconds;

no alcanzo a comprender por qué I can't begin to understand why;

no alcanzo a ver lo que quieres decir I can't quite see what you mean

3. [llegar]
está tan alto que no alcanzo it's too high for me to reach, it's so high up I can't reach it;

hasta donde alcanza la vista as far as the eye can see;

hasta donde alcanzo a recordar as far back as I can remember

* * *

alcanzar

I v/t a alguien catch up with; lugar reach, get to; en nivel reach; objetivo achieve; cantidad amount to;

alcanzar la cifra de amount to, stand at

II v/i

1 en altura reach

2 en cantidad be enough;

el dinero no alcanza I/we etc can’t afford it

3

:

alcanzar a oír/ver manage to hear/see

* * *

alcanzar {21} vt

1) : to reach

2) : to catch up with

3) lograr: to achieve, to attain

alcanzar vi

1) dar: to suffice, to be enough

2)

alcanzar a : to manage to

* * *

alcanzar vb

1. (en general) to reach

ya alcanza a la estantería she can reach the shelf now

2. (conseguir) to achieve

alcanzó su meta he achieved his goal

3. (pillar) to catch up [pt. & pp. caught]

lo alcancé al final de la calle I caught him up at the end of the street

4. (bastar) to be enough

el pan no alcanza para todos there's not enough bread for everyone

Spanish-English dictionary > alcanzar

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