something that someone does
Saving the puppy was a brave act of kindness.
One small act can change someone’s day.
to do something in order to achieve a result or solve a problem
When the kitchen caught fire, Jason decided to act at once and grabbed the extinguisher.
Governments must act quickly to protect endangered animals.
to perform a role in a play, film, or television show
Emma loves to act in school plays and wear different costumes.
He dreams of moving to Hollywood to act in big movies.
to behave or conduct yourself in a particular way
Please act politely when our guests arrive.
He acted like he didn’t hear the question.
one of the main parts into which a play, opera, or ballet is divided
After the first act, the audience went to the lobby for refreshments.
The tragedy has five acts in total.
behaviour that is not genuine but meant to deceive or impress
Don’t believe his tears; it’s just an act.
She put on an act of bravery, but inside she was scared.
a written law made by a parliament or congress
Parliament passed an Act to protect clean water.
The new act will come into force next year.
a written or spoken agreement that is legally binding and states what each side must do
The builder asked us to read the contract carefully before signing.
After winning the championship, the player signed a million-dollar contract with the team.
to become smaller or shorter, or to make something smaller, often because of cold or tightening
When the weather turned cold, the metal pipes began to contract.
She watched the balloon contract as the air slowly leaked out.
to arrange and agree to do work or provide something by signing a formal agreement
The city decided to contract a new company to collect its trash.
Our firm has contracted with a software developer to build the app.
to pull something toward another thing by a natural force such as magnetism or gravity
A strong magnet can attract iron nails from several centimeters away.
The Moon’s gravity attracts ocean water, causing tides on Earth.
✦ Same origin as other senses: from Latin ‘attrahere’, meaning ‘to draw toward’.
a short written summary of a longer research paper, speech, or other text
Read the abstract before deciding whether to download the full article.
The student wrote a 200-word abstract for her science project.
