{
    "term": "creature",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a living thing, real or imaginary, that can move around, such as an animal",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "respect for all **living creatures**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "alien/strange/mythical creatures"
                },
                {
                    "text": "octopuses and other **sea creatures**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The dormouse is a shy, nocturnal creature."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Dogs are more social creatures than cats."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I dreamt of evil creatures who were trying to catch me."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is awesome to see these magnificent creatures in flight."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The newborn young are helpless creatures and easy prey for birds."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These timid little creatures exude a pungent smell when threatened."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Woodland creatures such as foxes and owls are increasingly common in towns."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a strange creature from another planet"
                },
                {
                    "text": "the wild creatures of the forest"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Goblins and other dangerous creatures lurked inside the cave."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We share the land with all living creatures and have a duty to preserve its riches."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Insects, worms, etc.", "Animals"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["living", "primitive", "simple"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a person, considered in a particular way",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You pathetic creature!"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was an exotic creature with long red hair and brilliant green eyes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He always goes to bed at ten—he's **a creature of habit** *(= he likes to do the same things at the same time every day)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She was a sociable creature; she liked people."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a complex/​an unhappy creature"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a poor/​sad/​charming creature"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["living", "primitive", "simple"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a person or thing that depends completely on somebody else and is controlled by them",
            "labels": "(formal, disapproving)",
            "examples": []
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkriːtʃə(r)/",
                "audio": "cr/creature/creature__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈkriːtʃər/",
                "audio": "cr/creature/creature__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Middle English (in the sense ‘something created’): via Old French from late Latin creatura, from the verb creare ‘to produce’."
}