a |
1. art. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group. | |
There was a man here looking for you yesterday. | |
2. art. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word. | |
I've seen it happen a hundred times. | |
3. art. One certain or particular; any single.Brown, Lesley, (2003) | |
We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London. | |
4. art. The same; one. | |
We are of a mind on matters of morals. | |
5. art. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.Lindberg, Christine A. (2007) | |
A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties. | |
He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head? | |
6. art. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc. | |
7. art. Someone or something like; similar to; Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it. | |
The center of the village was becoming a Times Square. | |
8. prep. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. | |
Stand a tiptoe. | |
9. prep. To do with separation; In, into. | |
Torn a pieces. | |
10. prep. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. | |
I brush my teeth twice a day. | |
11. prep. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. | |
12. prep. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. | |
A God’s name. | |
13. prep. To do with status; In. | |
King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18) | |
To set the people a worke. | |
14. prep. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. | |
1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’ | |
The times, they are a-changin'. | |
15. prep. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. | |
1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21 | |
Jacob, when he was a dying | |
16. prep. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. | |
17. v. (archaic, or slang) Have. | |
I'd a come, if you'd a asked. | |
18. pron. (obsolete, outside, England, and Scotland dialects) He. | |
19. interj. A meaningless syllable; ah. | |
20. prep. (archaic, slang) Of. | |
The name of John a Gaunt. | |
21. adv. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
22. adj. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
period |
1. n. A length of time. | |
There was a period of confusion following the announcement. | |
You'll be on probation for a six-month period. | |
2. n. A period of time in history seen as a single coherent entity; an epoch, era. | |
Food rationing continued in the post-war period. | |
3. n. (now chiefly North America) The punctuation mark “.” (indicating the ending of a sentence or marking an abbreviation). | |
4. n. The length of time during which the same characteristics of a periodic phenomenon recur, such as the repetition of a wave or the rotation of a planet. | |
5. n. Female menstruation. | |
When she is on her period, she prefers not to go swimming. | |
6. n. A section of an artist's, writer's (etc.) career distinguished by a given quality, preoccupation etc. | |
This is one of the last paintings Picasso created during his Blue Period. | |
7. n. Each of the divisions into which a school day is split, allocated to a given subject or activity. | |
I have math class in second period. | |
8. n. (chiefly North America) Each of the intervals into which various sporting events are divided. | |
Gretzky scored in the last minute of the second period. | |
9. n. (obsolete, medicine) The length of time for a disease to run its course. | |
10. n. An end or conclusion; the final point of a process etc. | |
11. n. (rhetoric) A complete sentence, especially one expressing a single thought or making a balanced, rhythmic whole. | |
12. n. (obsolete) A specific moment during a given process; a point, a stage. | |
13. n. (chemistry) A row in the periodic table of the elements. | |
14. n. (geology) A subdivision of an era, typically lasting from tens to hundreds of millions of years, see. | |
15. n. (genetics) A Drosophila gene, the gene product of which is involved in regulation of the circadian rhythm. | |
16. n. , date=20 November 2009 | |
17. n. , url=http://flybase.org/reports/FBgn0003068.html | |
18. n. , title=Gene Dmel\per, format=Gene Report (database record) | |
19. n. , work=FlyBase, publisher=The FlyBase Consortium | |
20. n. , language=en, accessdate=7 December, accessyear=2009 | |
21. n. (music) Two phrases (an antecedent and a consequent phrase). | |
22. n. (math) The length of an interval over which a periodic function, periodic sequence or repeating decimal repeats; often the least such length. | |
23. n. (archaic) End point, conclusion. | |
a period car | |
a period TV commercial | |
24. adj. Evoking, or appropriate for, a particular historical period, especially through the use of elaborate costumes and scenery. | |
25. interj. (chiefly North America) That's final; that's the end of the matter (analogous to a period ending a sentence). | |
I know you don't want to go to the dentist but your teeth need to be checked, period! | |
26. v. (obsolete, intransitive) To come to a period; to conclude. | |
27. v. (obsolete, transitive, rare) To put an end to. | |
of |
1. prep. Expressing distance or motion. | |
2. prep. (now obsolete, or dialectal) From (of distance, direction), "off". | |
3. prep. (obsolete except in phrases) Since, from (a given time, earlier state etc.). | |
4. prep. From, away from (a position, number, distance etc.). | |
There are no shops within twenty miles of the cottage. | |
5. prep. (North America, Scotland, Ireland) Before (the hour); to. | |
What's the time? / Nearly a quarter of three. | |
6. prep. Expressing separation. | |
7. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with the action indicated by a transitive verb and the quality or substance by a grammatical object.) | |
Finally she was relieved of the burden of caring for her sick husband. | |
8. prep. (Indicating removal, absence or separation, with resulting state indicated by an adjective.) | |
He seemed devoid of human feelings. | |
9. prep. (obsolete) (Indicating removal, absence or separation, construed with an intransitive verb.) | |
10. prep. Expressing origin. | |
11. prep. (Indicating an ancestral source or origin of descent.) | |
The word is believed to be of Japanese origin. | |
12. prep. (Indicating a (non-physical) source of action or emotion; introducing a cause, instigation); from, out of, as an expression of. | |
The invention was born of necessity. | |
13. prep. (following an intransitive verb) (Indicates the source or cause of the verb.) | |
It is said that she died of a broken heart. | |
14. prep. (following an adjective) (Indicates the subject or cause of the adjective.) | |
I am tired of all this nonsense. | |
15. prep. Expressing agency. | |
16. prep. (following a passive verb) (Indicates the agent (for most verbs, now usually expressed with by).) | |
I am not particularly enamoured of this idea. | |
17. prep. (Used to introduce the "subjective genitive"; following a noun to form the head of a postmodifying noun phrase) (see also 'Possession' senses below). | |
The contract can be terminated at any time with the agreement of both parties. | |
18. prep. (following an adjective) (Used to indicate the agent of something described by the adjective.) | |
It was very brave of you to speak out like that. | |
19. prep. Expressing composition, substance. | |
20. prep. (after a verb expressing construction, making etc.) (Used to indicate the material or substance used.) | |
Many 'corks' are now actually made of plastic. | |
21. prep. (directly following a noun) (Used to indicate the material of the just-mentioned object.) | |
She wore a dress of silk. | |
22. prep. (Indicating the composition of a given collective or quantitative noun.) | |
What a lot of nonsense! | |
23. prep. (Used to link a given class of things with a specific example of that class.) | |
Welcome to the historic town of Harwich. | |
24. prep. (Links two nouns in near-apposition, with the first qualifying the second); "which is also". | |
I'm not driving this wreck of a car. | |
25. prep. Introducing subject matter. | |
26. prep. (Links an intransitive verb, or a transitive verb and its subject (especially verbs to do with thinking, feeling, expressing etc.), with its subject-ma | |
I'm always thinking of you. | |
27. prep. (following a noun (now chiefly nouns of knowledge, communication etc.)) (Introduces its subject matter); about, concerning. | |
He told us the story of his journey to India. | |
28. prep. (following an adjective) (Introduces its subject matter.) | |
This behaviour is typical of teenagers. | |
29. prep. Having partitive effect. | |
30. prep. (following a number or other quantitive word) (Introduces the whole for which is indicated only the specified part or segment); "from among". | |
Most of these apples are rotten. | |
31. prep. (following a noun) (Indicates a given part.) | |
32. prep. (now archaic, literary, with preceding partitive word assumed, or as a predicate after to be) Some, an amount of, one of. | |
On the whole, they seem to be of the decent sort. | |
33. prep. (Links to a genitive noun or possessive pronoun, with partitive effect (though now often merged with possessive senses, below).) | |
He is a friend of mine. | |
34. prep. Expressing possession. | |
35. prep. Belonging to, existing in, or taking place in a given location, place or time. Compare "origin" senses, above. | |
He was perhaps the most famous scientist of the twentieth century. | |
36. prep. Belonging to (a place) through having title, ownership or control over it. | |
The owner of the nightclub was arrested. | |
37. prep. Belonging to (someone or something) as something they possess or have as a characteristic; (the "possessive genitive". (With abstract nouns, this inter | |
Keep the handle of the saucepan away from the flames. | |
38. prep. Forming the "objective genitive". | |
39. prep. (Follows an agent noun, verbal noun or noun of action.) | |
She had a profound distrust of the police. | |
40. prep. Expressing qualities or characteristics. | |
41. prep. (now archaic, or literary) (Links an adjective with a noun or noun phrase to form a quasi-adverbial qualifier); in respect to, as regards. | |
My companion seemed affable and easy of manner. | |
42. prep. (Indicates a quality or characteristic); "characterized by". | |
Pooh was said to be a bear of very little brain. | |
43. prep. (Indicates quantity, age, price, etc.) | |
We have been paying interest at a rate of 10%. | |
44. prep. (US, informal considered incorrect by some) (Used to link singular indefinite nouns (preceded by the indefinite article) and attributive adjectives mod | |
It's not that big of a deal. | |
45. prep. Expressing a point in time. | |
46. prep. (chiefly regional) During the course of (a set period of time, day of the week etc.), now specifically with implied repetition or regularity. | |
Of an evening, we would often go for a stroll along the river. | |
47. prep. (UK dialectal, chiefly in negative constructions) For (a given length of time). | |
I've not tekken her out of a goodly long while. | |
48. prep. (after a noun) (Indicates duration of a state, activity etc.) | |
After a delay of three hours, the plane finally took off. | |
below |
1. prep. Lower in spatial position than. | |
The treasure is buried two meters below the surface. | |
2. prep. Lower in value, price, rank or concentration than. | |
The temperature is below zero. | |
3. prep. Downstream of. | |
4. prep. South of. | |
5. prep. Unsuitable to the rank or dignity of; beneath. | |
Such petty behavior is below me. | |
6. prep. (stage directions) Downstage of. | |
7. adv. In a lower place. | |
8. adv. On a lower storey. | |
9. adv. Further down. | |
10. adv. (nautical) On a lower deck. | |
the landlubbers lying down below | |
11. adv. (of a temperature) Below zero. | |
average |
1. n. (mathematics) The arithmetic mean. | |
The average of 10, 20 and 24 is (10 + 20 + 24)/3 = 18. | |
2. n. (statistics) Any measure of central tendency, especially any mean, the median, or the mode. | |
3. n. (legal, marine) Financial loss due to damage to transported goods; compensation for damage or loss. | |
4. n. Customs duty or similar charge payable on transported goods. | |
5. n. Proportional or equitable distribution of financial expense. | |
6. n. (sports) An indication of a player's ability calculated from his scoring record, etc. | |
batting average | |
7. n. (in the plural) In the corn trade, the medial price of the several kinds of grain in the principal corn markets. | |
8. adj. (not comparable) Constituting or relating to the average. | |
The average age of the participants was 18.5. | |
9. adj. Neither very good nor very bad; rated somewhere in the middle of all others in the same category. | |
I soon found I was only an average chess player. | |
10. adj. Typical. | |
The average family will not need the more expensive features of this product. | |
11. adj. (informal) Not outstanding, not good, banal; bad or poor. | |
12. v. To compute the average of, especially the arithmetic mean. | |
If you average 10, 20 and 24, you get 18. | |
13. v. Over a period of time or across members of a population, to have or generate a mean value of. | |
The daily high temperature last month averaged 15°C. | |
I averaged 75% in my examinations this year. | |
14. v. To divide among a number, according to a given proportion. | |
to average a loss | |
15. v. (intransitive) To be, generally or on average. | |
16. n. (legal) The service that a tenant owed his lord, to be done by the animals of the tenant, such as the transportation of wheat, turf, etc. | |
rain |
1. n. Condensed water falling from a cloud. | |
We've been having a lot of rain lately. | |
The rains came late that year. | |
2. n. (figuratively) Any matter moving or falling, usually through air, and especially if liquid or otherwise figuratively identifiable with raindrops. | |
3. n. (figuratively) An instance of particles or larger pieces of matter moving or falling through air. | |
A rain of mortar fire fell on our trenches. | |
4. v. (impersonal) To have rain fall from the sky. | |
It will rain today. | |
5. v. (intransitive) To fall as or like rain. | |
It will rain fire and brimstone at the end of days. | |
Tears rained from her eyes. | |
Leaves rained from the tree. | |
Bombs rained from the sky. | |
6. v. To issue (something) in large quantities. | |
The boxer rained punches on his opponent's head. | |
7. v. (obsolete) To reign. | |
fall |
1. n. The act of moving to a lower position under the effect of gravity. | |
2. n. A reduction in quantity, pitch, etc. | |
3. n. (chiefly North America, obsolete elsewhere) The time of the year when the leaves typically fall from the trees; autumn; the season of the year between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. | |
4. n. A loss of greatness or status. | |
the fall of Rome | |
5. n. That which falls or cascades. | |
6. n. (sport) A crucial event or circumstance. | |
7. n. (cricket, of a wicket) The action of a batsman being out. | |
8. n. (curling) A defect in the ice which causes stones thrown into an area to drift in a given direction. | |
9. n. (wrestling) An instance of a wrestler being pinned to the mat. | |
10. n. A hairpiece for women consisting of long strands of hair on a woven backing, intended primarily to cover hair loss. | |
11. n. (informal, US) Blame or punishment for a failure or misdeed. | |
He set up his rival to take the fall. | |
12. n. The part of the rope of a tackle to which the power is applied in hoisting (usu. plural). | |
Have the goodness to secure the falls of the mizzen halyards. | |
13. n. See falls | |
14. n. An old Scots unit of measure equal to six ells. | |
15. n. A short, flexible piece of leather forming part of a bullwhip, placed between the thong and the cracker. | |
16. v. (heading, intransitive) To move downwards. | |
17. v. To move to a lower position under the effect of gravity. | |
Thrown from a cliff, the stone fell 100 feet before hitting the ground. | |
18. v. To come down, to drop or descend. | |
The rain fell at dawn. | |
19. v. To come to the ground deliberately, to prostrate oneself. | |
He fell to the floor and begged for mercy. | |
20. v. To be brought to the ground. | |
21. v. To be moved downwards. | |
22. v. (obsolete) To let fall; to drop. | |
23. v. (obsolete) To sink; to depress. | |
to fall the voice | |
24. v. (US) To fell; to cut down. | |
to fall a tree | |
25. v. (intransitive) To happen, to change negatively. | |
26. v. (copulative) To become. | |
She has fallen ill. The children fell asleep in the back of the car. When did you first fall in love? | |
27. v. To occur (on a certain day of the week, date, or similar); said of an instance of a recurring event such as a holiday or date. | |
Thanksgiving always falls on a Thursday. Last year, Commencement fell on June 3. | |
28. v. (intransitive) To collapse; to be overthrown or defeated. | |
Rome fell to the Goths in 410 AD. | |
29. v. (intransitive, formal, euphemistic) To die, especially in battle or by disease. | |
This is a monument to all those who fell in the First World War. | |
30. v. (intransitive) To become lower (in quantity, pitch, etc.). | |
The candidate's poll ratings fell abruptly after the banking scandal. | |
31. v. (followed by a determining word or phrase) To become; to be affected by or befallen with a calamity; to change into the state described by words follow | |
Our senator fell into disrepute because of the banking scandal. | |
32. v. (intransitive) To be allotted to; to arrive through chance, fate, or inheritance. | |
And so it falls to me to make this important decision. The estate fell to his brother; the kingdom fell into the hands of his rivals. | |
33. v. (transitive, obsolete) To diminish; to lessen or lower. | |
34. v. (transitive, obsolete) To bring forth. | |
to fall lambs | |
35. v. (intransitive, obsolete) To issue forth into life; to be brought forth; said of the young of certain animals. | |
36. v. (intransitive) To descend in character or reputation; to become degraded; to sink into vice, error, or sin. | |
37. v. (intransitive) To become ensnared or entrapped; to be worse off than before. | |
to fall into error; to fall into difficulties | |
38. v. (intransitive) To assume a look of shame or disappointment; to become or appear dejected; said of the face. | |
39. v. (intransitive) To happen; to come to pass; to chance or light (upon). | |
40. v. (intransitive) To begin with haste, ardour, or vehemence; to rush or hurry. | |
After arguing, they fell to blows. | |
41. v. (intransitive) To be dropped or uttered carelessly. | |
An unguarded expression fell from his lips. | |
longer |
1. adj. comparative form of long: more long | |
2. adv. comparative form of long: more long | |
3. n. One who longs or yearns for something. | |
and |
1. conj. As a coordinating conjunction; expressing two elements to be taken together or in addition to each other. | |
2. conj. Used simply to connect two noun phrases, adjectives or adverbs. | |
3. conj. Simply connecting two clauses or sentences. | |
4. conj. Introducing a clause or sentence which follows on in time or consequence from the first. | |
5. conj. (obsolete) Yet; but. | |
6. conj. Used to connect certain numbers: connecting units when they precede tens (not dated); connecting tens and units to hundreds, thousands etc. (now often | |
7. conj. (now colloquial, or literary) Used to connect more than two elements together in a chain, sometimes to stress the number of elements. | |
8. conj. Connecting two identical elements, with implications of continued or infinite repetition. | |
9. conj. Introducing a parenthetical or explanatory clause. | |
10. conj. Introducing the continuation of narration from a previous understood point; also used alone as a question: ‘and so what?’. | |
11. conj. (now regional or somewhat colloquial) Used to connect two verbs where the second is dependent on the first: ‘to’. Used especially after come, | |
12. conj. Introducing a qualitative difference between things having the same name; "as well as other". | |
13. conj. Used to combine numbers in addition; plus (with singular or plural verb). | |
14. conj. Expressing a condition.: | |
15. conj. (now US dialect) If; provided that. | |
16. conj. (obsolete) As if, as though. | |
17. n. (enm, music, often informal) In rhythm, the second half of a divided beat. | |
18. n. (UK dialectal) Breath. | |
19. n. (UK dialectal) Sea smoke; steam fog. | |
20. v. (UK dialectal, intransitive) To breathe; whisper; devise; imagine. | |
more |
1. det. comparative degree of many, : in greater number. (Used for a discrete quantity.) | |
More people are arriving. | |
There are more ways to do this than I can count. | |
2. det. comparative degree of much, : in greater quantity, amount, or proportion. (Used for a continuous quantity.) | |
I want more soup; I need more time | |
There's more caffeine in my coffee than in the coffee you get in most places. | |
3. adv. To a greater degree or extent. | |
He walks more in the morning these days. | |
4. adv. (now poetic) In negative constructions: any further, any longer; any more. | |
5. adv. Used alone to form the comparative form of adjectives and adverbs. | |
You're more beautiful than I ever imagined. | |
6. adv. (now dialectal, or humorous) Used in addition to an inflected comparative form. (Standard until the 18thc.) | |
I was more better at English than you. | |
7. adv. rather | |
He is more clever than wise. | |
8. n. An extra amount or extent. | |
9. n. (obsolete) a carrot; a parsnip. | |
10. n. (dialectal) a root; stock. | |
11. n. A plant. | |
12. v. To root up. | |
13. pron. a greater amount of people or things | |
severe |
1. adj. Very bad or intense. | |
2. adj. Strict or harsh. | |
a severe taskmaster | |
3. adj. Sober, plain in appearance, austere. | |
a severe old maiden aunt | |
than |
1. conj. (obsolete, outside, dialects, usually used with for) Because; for. | |
2. conj. Used in comparisons, to introduce the basis of comparison. | |
she's taller than I am; she found his advice more witty than helpful; we have less work today than we had yesterday; it's bigger than I thought it was | |
3. prep. introduces a comparison, and is associated with comparatives, and with words such as more, less, and fewer. Typically, it seeks to measure the force of an adjective or similar description between two | |
Patients diagnosed more recently are probably surviving an average of longer than two years. | |
4. adv. (now chiefly dialectal) At that time; then. | |
a |
1. art. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group. | |
There was a man here looking for you yesterday. | |
2. art. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word. | |
I've seen it happen a hundred times. | |
3. art. One certain or particular; any single.Brown, Lesley, (2003) | |
We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London. | |
4. art. The same; one. | |
We are of a mind on matters of morals. | |
5. art. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.Lindberg, Christine A. (2007) | |
A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties. | |
He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head? | |
6. art. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc. | |
7. art. Someone or something like; similar to; Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it. | |
The center of the village was becoming a Times Square. | |
8. prep. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. | |
Stand a tiptoe. | |
9. prep. To do with separation; In, into. | |
Torn a pieces. | |
10. prep. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. | |
I brush my teeth twice a day. | |
11. prep. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. | |
12. prep. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. | |
A God’s name. | |
13. prep. To do with status; In. | |
King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18) | |
To set the people a worke. | |
14. prep. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. | |
1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’ | |
The times, they are a-changin'. | |
15. prep. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. | |
1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21 | |
Jacob, when he was a dying | |
16. prep. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. | |
17. v. (archaic, or slang) Have. | |
I'd a come, if you'd a asked. | |
18. pron. (obsolete, outside, England, and Scotland dialects) He. | |
19. interj. A meaningless syllable; ah. | |
20. prep. (archaic, slang) Of. | |
The name of John a Gaunt. | |
21. adv. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
22. adj. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
dry |
1. adj. Free from or lacking moisture. | |
This towel's dry. Could you wet it and cover the chicken so it doesn't go dry as it cooks? | |
2. adj. Unable to produce a liquid, as water, (Petrochemistry) oil, or (farming) milk. | |
This well is as dry as that cow. | |
3. adj. (masonry) Built without or lacking mortar. | |
4. adj. (chemistry) Anhydrous: free from or lacking water in any state, regardless of the presence of other liquids. | |
Dry alcohol is 200 proof. | |
5. adj. Free from or lacking alcohol or alcoholic beverages. | |
Of course it's a dry house. He was an alcoholic but he's been dry for almost a year now. | |
6. adj. (law) Describing an area where sales of alcoholic or strong alcoholic beverages are banned. | |
You'll have to drive out of this dry county to find any liquor. | |
7. adj. Free from or lacking embellishment or sweetness, particularly: | |
8. adj. (wine & other alcoholic beverages) Low in sugar; lacking sugar; unsweetened. | |
Proper martinis are made with London dry gin and dry vermouth. | |
9. adj. (humor) Amusing without showing amusement. | |
Steven Wright has a deadpan delivery, Norm Macdonald has a dry sense of humor, and Oscar Wilde had a dry wit. | |
10. adj. Lacking interest, boring. | |
A dry lecture may require the professor to bring a watergun in order to keep the students' attention. | |
11. adj. (fine arts) Exhibiting precise execution lacking delicate contours or soft transitions of color. | |
12. adj. (science, somewhat pejorative) Involving computations rather than work with biological or chemical matter. | |
13. adj. (of a sound recording) Free from applied audio effects. | |
14. adj. Without a usual complement or consummation; impotently. (attn, en, improve this) | |
never dry fire a bow; dry humping her girlfriend; making a dry run | |
15. n. (US) A prohibitionist (of alcoholic beverages). | |
16. n. (especially, Australia, with "the") The dry season. | |
17. n. (Australia) An area of waterless country. | |
18. n. (UK, politics) A radical or hard-line Conservative; especially, one who supported the policies of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, contrasted with wet. | |
19. v. (intransitive) To lose moisture. | |
The clothes dried on the line. | |
20. v. To remove moisture from. | |
Devin dried her eyes with a handkerchief. | |
21. v. (obsolete, intransitive) To be thirsty. | |
spell |
1. n. Words or a formula supposed to have magical powers. | |
He cast a spell to cure warts. | |
2. n. A magical effect or influence induced by an incantation or formula. | |
under a spell | |
3. n. (obsolete) Speech, discourse. | |
4. v. To put under the influence of a spell; to affect by a spell; to bewitch; to fascinate; to charm. | |
5. v. (obsolete) To speak, to declaim. | |
6. v. (obsolete) To tell; to relate; to teach. | |
7. v. (transitive, obsolete) To read (something) as though letter by letter; to peruse slowly or with effort. | |
8. v. (transitive, sometimes with “out”) To write or say the letters that form a word or part of a word. | |
9. v. (intransitive) To be able to write or say the letters that form words. | |
I find it difficult to spell because I'm dyslexic. | |
10. v. Of letters: to compose (a word). | |
The letters “a”, “n” and “d” spell “and”. | |
11. v. (transitive, figuratively) To indicate that (some event) will occur. | |
This spells trouble. | |
12. v. (transitive figuratively, with “out”) To clarify; to explain in detail. | |
Please spell it out for me. | |
13. v. To constitute; to measure. | |
14. v. To work in place of (someone). | |
to spell the helmsman | |
15. v. To rest (someone or something), to give someone or something a rest or break. | |
They spelled the horses and rested in the shade of some trees near a brook. | |
16. v. (intransitive, colloquial) To rest from work for a time. | |
17. n. A shift (of work); (rare) a set of workers responsible for a specific turn of labour. | |
18. n. (informal) A definite period (of work or other activity). | |
19. n. (colloquial) An indefinite period of time (usually with a qualifier); (by extension,) a relatively short distance. | |
20. n. A period of rest; time off. | |
21. n. (colloquial, US) A period of illness, or sudden interval of bad spirits, disease etc. | |
22. n. (cricket) An uninterrupted series of alternate overs bowled by a single bowler. | |
23. n. (dialectal) A splinter, usually of wood; a spelk. | |
24. n. The wooden bat in the game of trap ball, or knurr and spell. | |