—n. - one or more persons, vehicles, etc., accompanying a person, vehicle, etc., for protection or as a mark of status.
- person accompanying a person of the opposite sex socially. —v. Act as an escort to. [french from italian]
ESCUDO
n. (pl. -s) chief monetary unit of portugal. [spanish and portuguese from latin scutum shield]
ESKIMO
—n. (pl. Same or -s) 1 member of a people inhabiting n. Canada, alaska, greenland, and e. Siberia.
- language of this people. —adj. Of eskimos or their language. [algonquian]
ESPRIT
n. Sprightliness, wit. esprit de corps devotion to and pride in one's group. [french: related to *spirit]
ESTATE
agent n. Person whose business is the sale or lease of buildings and land on behalf of others.
- car n. Car with a continuous area for rear passengers and luggage.
- duty n. Hist. Death duty.
- n. - property consisting of much land and usu. A large house.
- modern residential or industrial area with an integrated design or purpose.
- person's assets and liabilities, esp. At death.
- property where rubber, tea, grapes, etc., are cultivated.
- order or class forming (or regarded as) part of the body politic.
- archaic or literary state or position in life (the estate of holy matrimony). the three estates lords spiritual (the heads of the church), lords temporal (the peerage), and the commons. [french estat, from latin sto stat- stand]
ESTEEM
—v. - (usu. In passive) have a high regard for.
- formal consider (esteemed it an honour). —n. High regard; favour. [latin: related to *estimate]
ESTRUS
n. (also estrum, brit. Oestrus) recurring period of sexual receptivity in many female mammals oestrous adj. [greek oistros frenzy]
ETHANE
n. Gaseous hydrocarbon of the alkane series. [from *ether]
ETHICS
n.pl. (also treated as sing.) 1 moral philosophy.
- a moral principles. B set of these.
ETHNIC
adj. - a (of a social group) having a common national or cultural tradition. B (of music, clothing, etc.) Inspired by or resembling those of an exotic people.
- denoting origin by birth or descent rather than nationality (ethnic turks). ethnically adv. [greek ethnos nation]
