(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: ball1
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.
(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.
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