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(c) other extension or shift in meaning, retaining one or more
elements of the core sense, e.g.
HEADWORD: bamboo
CORE SENSE: [mass noun] a giant woody grass which is grown chiefly in the
tropics.
SUBSENSE: the hollow jointed stem of this plant, used as a cane or to make
furniture and implements.
HEADWORD: management
CORE SENSE: the process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
SUBSENSE: [treated as sing. or pl.] the people managing a company or
organization, regarded collectively:
EXAMPLE: management were extremely cooperative.
HEADWORD: ambassador
CORE SENSE: an accredited diplomat sent by a state as its permanent
representative in a foreign country.
SUBSENSE: a representative or promoter of a specified activity:
EXAMPLE: he is a good ambassador for the industry.
Many entries have just one core sense. However some entries are more complex
and have different strands of meaning, each constituting a core sense. In this case,
each core sense is introduced by a bold sense number, and each potentially has its
own block of subsenses relating to it.
(a) figurative extension of the core sense, e.g.
HEADWORD: logjam
CORE SENSE: a crowded mass of logs blocking a river.
SUBSENSE:
figurative
a situation that seems irresolvable:
EXAMPLE: the president can use his power to break the logjam over
this issue.
SUBSENSE:
figurative
a backlog:
EXAMPLE: keeping a diary may ease the logjam of work.
HEADWORD: bankrupt
CORE SENSE: (of a person or organization) declared in law as unable to pay
their debts:
SUBSENSE:
figurative
completely lacking in a particular good quality:
EXAMPLE: their cause is morally bankrupt.
(b) specialized case of the core sense, e.g.
HEADWORD: ball
1
CORE SENSE: a single throw, kick, or hit of the ball in a game, in particular:
SUBSENSE:
Cricket
a delivery of the ball by the bowler to the batsman.
SUBSENSE:
Baseball
a pitch delivered outside the strike zone which the
batter does not attempt to hit.
HEADWORD: basement
CORE SENSE: the floor of a building which is partly or entirely below ground
level.
SUBSENSE:
Geology
the oldest formation of rocks underlying a particular
area.