an |
1. art. Form of a used before a vowel sound | |
2. art. (now quite rare) Form of a used before 'h' in an unstressed syllable | |
3. art. (nonstandard) Form of a used before 'h' in a stressed syllable | |
4. conj. (archaic) If | |
5. conj. (archaic) So long as. | |
An it harm none, do what ye will. | |
6. conj. (archaic) As if; as though. | |
7. n. The first letter of the Georgian alphabet, ა (Mkhedruli), Ⴀ (Asomtavruli) or ⴀ (Nuskhuri). | |
8. prep. In each; to or for each; per. | |
I was only going twenty miles an hour. | |
optical |
1. adj. Of, or relating to sight; visual. | |
Strabismus is an optical defect. | |
2. adj. Designed to assist or enhance sight | |
A microscope is an optical instrument. | |
3. adj. Of, or relating to optics. | |
Refraction is an optical effect. | |
4. adj. Of, or relating to visible light. | |
Optical telescopes don't work when it is cloudy. | |
5. adj. Incorporating light-sensitive devices. | |
An optical switch opens the door automatically. | |
phenomenon |
1. n. A thing or being, event or process, perceptible through senses; or a fact or occurrence thereof. | |
2. n. (extension) A knowable thing or event (eg by inference, especially in science). | |
3. n. (metonymy) A kind or type of phenomenon (sense 1 or 2). | |
4. n. Appearance; a perceptible aspect of something that is mutable. | |
5. n. A fact or event considered very unusual, curious, or astonishing by those who witness it. | |
6. n. A wonderful or very remarkable person or thing. | |
7. n. (philosophy, chiefly Kantian idealism) An experienced object whose constitution reflects the order and conceptual structure imposed upon it by the human mind (especially by the powers of perception an | |
in |
1. prep. Used to indicate location, inclusion, or position within spatial, temporal or other limits. | |
2. prep. Contained by. | |
The dog is in the kennel. | |
3. prep. Within. | |
4. prep. Surrounded by. | |
We are in the enemy camp. Her plane is in the air. | |
5. prep. Part of; a member of. | |
One in a million. She's in band and orchestra. | |
6. prep. Pertaining to; with regard to. | |
What grade did he get in English? | |
Military letters should be formal in tone, but not stilted. | |
7. prep. At the end of a period of time. | |
They said they would call us in a week. | |
8. prep. Within a certain elapsed time | |
Are you able to finish this in three hours? The massacre resulted in over 1000 deaths in three hours. | |
9. prep. During (said of periods of time). | |
in the first week of December; Easter falls in the fourth lunar month; The country reached a high level of prosperity in his fi | |
10. prep. (grammar, phonetics, of sounds and letters) Coming at the end of a word. | |
English nouns in -ce form their plurals in -s. | |
11. prep. Into. | |
Less water gets in your boots this way. | |
12. prep. Used to indicate limit, qualification, condition, or circumstance. | |
In replacing the faucet washers, he felt he was making his contribution to the environment. | |
13. prep. Indicating an order or arrangement. | |
My fat rolls around in folds. | |
14. prep. Denoting a state of the subject. | |
He stalked away in anger. John is in a coma. | |
15. prep. Indicates, connotatively, a place-like form of someone's (or something's) personality, as his, her or its psychic and physical characteristics. | |
You've got a friend in me. He's met his match in her. | |
16. prep. Wearing (an item of clothing). | |
I glanced over at the pretty girl in the red dress. | |
17. prep. Used to indicate means, medium, format, genre, or instrumentality. | |
18. prep. (of something offered or given in an exchange) In the form of, in the denomination of. | |
Please pay me in cash — preferably in tens and twenties. | |
The deposit can be in any legal tender, even in gold. | |
Her generosity was rewarded in the success of its recipients. | |
19. prep. Used to indicate a language, script, tone, etc. of a text, speech, etc. | |
Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" in C minor is among his most popular. | |
His speech was in French, but was simultaneously translated into eight languages. | |
When you write in cursive, it's illegible. | |
20. v. (obsolete, transitive) To enclose. | |
21. v. (obsolete, transitive) To take in; to harvest. | |
22. adv. (not comparable) Located indoors, especially at home or the office, or inside something. | |
Is Mr. Smith in? | |
23. adv. Moving to the interior of a defined space, such as a building or room. | |
Suddenly a strange man walked in. | |
24. adv. (sports) Still eligible to play, e.g. able to bat in cricket and baseball. | |
He went for the wild toss but wasn't able to stay in. | |
25. adv. (UK) Abbreviation of in aid of. | |
What's that in? | |
26. adv. After the beginning of something. | |
27. n. A position of power or a way to get it. | |
His parents got him an in with the company | |
28. n. (sport) The state of a batter/batsman who is currently batting – see innings | |
29. n. A re-entrant angle; a nook or corner. | |
30. adj. In fashion; popular. | |
Skirts are in this year. | |
31. adj. Incoming. | |
the in train | |
32. adj. (nautical, of the sails of a vessel) Furled or stowed. | |
33. adj. (legal) With privilege or possession; used to denote a holding, possession, or seisin. | |
in by descent; in by purchase; in of the seisin of her husband | |
34. adj. (cricket) Currently batting. | |
35. n. Inch. | |
which |
1. det. (interrogative) What, of those mentioned or implied. | |
Which song made the charts? | |
2. det. (relative) The one or ones that. | |
Show me which one is bigger. | |
They couldn't decide which song to play. | |
3. det. (relative) The one or ones mentioned. | |
He once owned a painting of the house, which painting would later be stolen. | |
For several seconds he sat in silence, during which time the tea and sandwiches arrived. | |
I'm thinking of getting a new car, in which case I'd get a red one. | |
4. pron. (interrogative) What one or ones (of those mentioned or implied). | |
Which is bigger?; Which is which? | |
5. pron. (relative) Who; whom; what (of those mentioned or implied). | |
He walked by a door with a sign, which read: PRIVATE OFFICE. | |
We've met some problems which are very difficult to handle. | |
He had to leave, which was very difficult. | |
No art can be properly understood apart from the culture of which it is a part. | |
6. pron. (relative, archaic) Used of people (now generally who, whom or that). | |
7. n. An occurrence of the word which. | |
light |
1. n. (physics) Visible electromagnetic radiation. The human eye can typically detect radiation (light) in the wavelength range of about 400 to 750 nanometers. Nearby shorter and longer wavelength ranges, a | |
As you can see, this spacious dining-room gets a lot of light in the mornings. | |
2. n. A source of illumination. | |
Put that light out! | |
3. n. Spiritual or mental illumination; enlightenment, useful information. | |
Can you throw any light on this problem? | |
4. n. (in the now rare) Facts; pieces of information; ideas, concepts. | |
5. n. A notable person within a specific field or discipline. | |
Picasso was one of the leading lights of the cubist movement. | |
6. n. (painting) The manner in which the light strikes a picture; that part of a picture which represents those objects upon which the light is supposed to fall; the more illuminated part of a landscape or | |
7. n. A point of view, or aspect from which a concept, person or thing is regarded. | |
I'm really seeing you in a different light today. | |
Magoon's governorship in Cuba was viewed in a negative light by many Cuban historians for years thereafter. | |
8. n. A flame or something used to create fire. | |
Hey, buddy, you got a light? | |
9. n. A firework made by filling a case with a substance which burns brilliantly with a white or coloured flame. | |
a Bengal light | |
10. n. A window, or space for a window in architecture. | |
This facade has eight south-facing lights. | |
11. n. The series of squares reserved for the answer to a crossword clue. | |
The average length of a light on a 15×15 grid is 7 or 8. | |
12. n. (informal) A cross-light in a double acrostic or triple acrostic. | |
13. n. Open view; a visible state or condition; public observation; publicity. | |
14. n. The power of perception by vision. | |
15. n. The brightness of the eye or eyes. | |
16. n. A traffic light, or, by extension, an intersection controlled by one or more that will face a traveler who is receiving instructions. | |
To get to our house, turn right at the third light. | |
17. v. To start (a fire). | |
We lit the fire to get some heat. | |
18. v. To set fire to; to set burning; to kindle. | |
She lit her last match. | |
19. v. To illuminate. | |
I used my torch to light the way home through the woods in the night. | |
20. v. (intransitive) To become ignited; to take fire. | |
This soggy match will not light. | |
21. v. To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light. | |
22. adj. Having light. | |
The room is light when the Sun shines through the window. | |
23. adj. Pale in colour. | |
She had light skin. | |
24. adj. (of coffee) Served with extra milk or cream. | |
I like my coffee light. | |
25. adj. Of low weight; not heavy. | |
My bag was much lighter once I had dropped off the books. | |
26. adj. Lightly-built; designed for speed or small loads. | |
We took a light aircraft down to the city. | |
27. adj. Gentle; having little force or momentum. | |
This artist clearly had a light, flowing touch. | |
28. adj. Easy to endure or perform. | |
light duties around the house | |
29. adj. Low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt, etc. | |
This light beer still gets you drunk if you have enough of it. | |
30. adj. Unimportant, trivial, having little value or significance. | |
I made some light comment, and we moved on. | |
31. adj. (rail transport, of a locomotive, usually with "run") travelling with no carriages, wagons attached | |
32. adj. (obsolete) Unchaste, wanton. | |
33. adj. Not heavily armed; armed with light weapons. | |
light troops; a troop of light horse | |
34. adj. Not encumbered; unembarrassed; clear of impediments; hence, active; nimble; swift. | |
35. adj. (dated) Easily influenced by trifling considerations; unsteady; unsettled; volatile. | |
a light, vain person; a light mind | |
36. adj. Indulging in, or inclined to, levity; lacking dignity or solemnity; frivolous; airy. | |
Ogden Nash was a writer of light verse. | |
37. adj. Not quite sound or normal; somewhat impaired or deranged; dizzy; giddy. | |
38. adj. Not of the legal, standard, or usual weight; clipped; diminished. | |
light coin | |
39. adj. Easily interrupted by stimulation. | |
light sleep; light anesthesia | |
40. adv. Carrying little. | |
I prefer to travel light. | |
41. n. (curling) A stone that is not thrown hard enough. | |
42. v. (nautical) To unload a ship, or to jettison material to make it lighter | |
43. v. To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off. | |
44. v. To find by chance. | |
I lit upon a rare book in a second-hand bookseller's. | |
45. v. To stop upon (of eyes or a glance); to notice | |
46. v. (archaic) To alight; to land or come down. | |
She fell out of the window but luckily lit on her feet. | |
Is |
1. n. plural of I | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of be | |
He is a doctor. He retired some time ago. | |
Should he do the task, it is vital that you follow him. | |
3. n. plural of i | |
remember to dot your is | |
be |
1. v. (intransitive, now literary) To exist; to have real existence. | |
2. v. (with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist. | |
There is just one woman in town who can help us. (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us. | |
3. v. (intransitive) To occupy a place. | |
The cup is on the table. | |
4. v. (intransitive) To occur, to take place. | |
When will the meeting be? | |
5. v. (intransitive, in perfect tenses, without predicate) Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar. | |
The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come. | |
I have been to Spain many times. | |
Moscow, huh? I've never been, but it sounds fascinating. | |
6. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject and object are the same. | |
Knowledge is bliss. | |
Hi, I’m Jim. | |
7. v. (transitive, copulative, mathematics) Used to indicate that the values on either side of an equation are the same. | |
3 times 5 is fifteen. | |
8. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject plays the role of the predicate nominal. | |
François Mitterrand was president of France from 1981 to 1995. | |
9. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to connect a noun to an adjective that describes it. | |
The sky is blue. | |
10. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase. | |
The sky is a deep blue today. | |
11. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the passive voice. | |
The dog was drowned by the boy. | |
12. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the continuous forms of various tenses. | |
The woman is walking. | |
I shall be writing to you soon. | |
We liked to chat while we were eating. | |
13. v. (archaic, auxiliary) Used to form the perfect aspect with certain intransitive verbs, most of which indicate motion. Often still used for "to go". | |
14. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form future tenses, especially the future periphrastic. | |
I am to leave tomorrow. | |
I would drive you, were I to obtain a car. | |
15. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to link a subject to a measurement. | |
This building is three hundred years old. | |
I am 75 kilograms. | |
He’s about 6 feet tall. | |
16. v. (transitive, copulative, with a cardinal numeral) Used to state the age of a subject in years. | |
I’m 20. (= I am 20 years old.) | |
17. v. (with a dummy subject) it Used to indicate the time of day. | |
It is almost eight. (= It is almost eight o’clock.) | |
It’s 8:30 read eight-thirty in Tokyo. | |
What time is it there? It’s night. | |
18. v. (With since) Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event. | |
It has been three years since my grandmother died. (similar to My grandmother died three years ago, but emphasizes the intervening period) | |
It had been six days since his departure, when I received a letter from him. | |
19. v. (often, impersonal, with it as a dummy subject) Used to indicate weather, air quality, or the like. | |
It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid. | |
Why is it so dark in here? | |
20. v. (dynamic/lexical "be", especially in progressive tenses, conjugated non-suppletively in the present tense, see usage notes) To exist or behave in a certain way. | |
"What do we do?" "We be ourselves.". | |
Why is he being nice to me? | |
refracted |
1. v. simple past tense and past participle of refract | |
refract |
1. v. (intransitive, of light) To change direction as a result of entering a different medium | |
2. v. (transitive, optics) To cause (light) to change direction as a result of entering a different medium. | |
A prism can refract light. | |
through |
1. prep. From one side of an opening to the other. | |
I went through the window. | |
2. prep. Entering, then later leaving. | |
I drove through the town at top speed without looking left or right. | |
3. prep. Surrounded by (while moving). | |
We slogged through the mud for hours before turning back and giving up. | |
4. prep. By means of. | |
This team believes in winning through intimidation. | |
5. prep. (North America) To (or up to) and including, with all intermediate values. | |
from 1945 through 1991; the numbers 1 through 9; your membership is active through March 15, 2013 | |
6. adj. Passing from one side of something to the other. | |
Interstate highways form a nationwide system of through roads. | |
7. adj. Finished; complete. | |
They were through with laying the subroof by noon. | |
8. adj. Valueless; without a future. | |
After being implicated in the scandal, he was through as an executive in financial services. | |
9. adj. No longer interested. | |
She was through with him. | |
10. adj. Proceeding from origin to destination without delay due to change of equipment. | |
The through flight through Memphis was the fastest. | |
11. adj. (association football) In possession of the ball beyond the last line of defence but not necessarily the goalkeeper; through on goal. | |
12. adv. From one side to the other by way of the interior. | |
The arrow went straight through. | |
13. adv. From one end to the other. | |
Others slept; he worked straight through. | |
She read the letter through. | |
14. adv. To the end. | |
He said he would see it through. | |
15. adv. Completely. | |
Leave the yarn in the dye overnight so the color soaks through. | |
16. adv. Out into the open. | |
The American army broke through at St. Lo. | |
17. n. A large slab of stone laid in a dry-stone wall from one side to the other; a perpend. | |
18. n. (obsolete) A coffin, sarcophagus or tomb of stone; a large slab of stone laid on a tomb. | |
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. | |
layer |
1. n. A single thickness of some material covering a surface. | |
Wrap the loaf in two layers of aluminum foil before putting it in the oven. | |
After the first coat of paint dried, he applied another layer. | |
2. n. An item of clothing worn under or over another. | |
It's cold now but it will warm up this afternoon. Make sure you wear layers. | |
3. n. A (usually) horizontal deposit; a stratum. | |
I find seven-layer cake a bit too rich. | |
4. n. One of the items in a hierarchy. | |
mired in layers of deceit | |
5. v. to cut or divide (something) into layers | |
6. v. to arrange (something) in layers. | |
Layer the ribbons on top of one another to make an attractive pattern. | |
7. n. A person who lays things, such as tiles. | |
8. n. A mature female bird, insect, etc. that is able to lay eggs. | |
When dealing with an infestation of headlice, the first step is to eliminate the layers. | |
9. n. A hen kept to lay eggs. | |
10. n. A shoot of a plant, laid underground for growth. | |
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. | |
hot |
1. adj. (of an object) Having a high temperature. | |
He forgot the frying pan was hot, and dropped it suddenly. | |
2. adj. (of the weather) Causing the air to be hot. | |
It is too hot to be outside. It is hotter in summer than in winter. | |
3. adj. (of a person or animal) Feeling the sensation of heat, especially to the point of discomfort. | |
I was so hot from being in the sun too long. Aren't you hot with that thick coat on? | |
4. adj. (of a temper) Easily provoked to anger. | |
Be careful, he has a hot temper and may take it out on you. | |
5. adj. Feverish. | |
6. adj. (of food) Spicy. | |
Before moving to India, I never ate hot food. The Indians love spicy food. | |
7. adj. (informal) Very good, remarkable, exciting. | |
He's a hot young player, we should give him a trial. | |
8. adj. Stolen. | |
hot merchandise | |
9. adj. (incomparable) Electrically charged. | |
a hot wire | |
10. adj. (informal) Radioactive. | |
11. adj. (slang) Very physically and/or sexually attractive. | |
That girl is hot! | |
12. adj. (slang) Sexual or sexy; involving sexual intercourse or sexual excitement. | |
13. adj. (slang) Sexually aroused; horny. | |
14. adj. Popular; in demand. | |
His new pickup is hot! | |
15. adj. Very close to finding or guessing something to be found or guessed. | |
Am I warm yet? — You're hot! | |
16. adj. Performing strongly; having repeated successes. | |
17. adj. Fresh; just released. | |
18. adj. Uncomfortable, difficult to deal with; awkward, dangerous, unpleasant. | |
19. adj. (slang) Used to emphasize the short duration or small quantity of something | |
He was finished in a hot minute. | |
I dated him for a hot second. | |
20. v. (with up) To heat; to make or become hot. | |
21. v. (with up) To become lively or exciting. | |
air |
1. n. (meteorology) The substance constituting earth's atmosphere, particularly: | |
I'm going outside to get some air. | |
2. n. (historical, philosophy, alchemy) understood as one of the four elements of the ancient Greeks and Romans. | |
3. n. (historical, medical) understood as a particular local substance with supposed effects on human health. | |
There was a tension in the air which made me suspect an approaching storm. | |
4. n. (physics) understood as a gaseous mixture of nitrogen, oxygen, and various trace gases. | |
5. n. (usually with the) The apparently open space above the ground which this substance fills, (historical) formerly thought to be limited by the firmament but (meteorology) now considered surrounded by th | |
The flock of birds took to the air. | |
6. n. A breeze; a gentle wind. | |
7. n. A feeling or sense. | |
to give it an air of artistry and sophistication | |
8. n. A sense of poise, graciousness, or quality. | |
9. n. (usually plural) Pretension; snobbishness; pretence that one is better than others. | |
putting on airs | |
10. n. (music) A song, especially a solo; an aria. | |
11. n. (informal) Nothing; absence of anything. | |
12. n. An air conditioner or the processed air it produces. Can be a mass noun or a count noun depending on context; similar to hair. | |
Could you turn on the air? | |
Hey, did you mean to leave the airs on all week while you were on vacation? | |
13. n. (obsolete, chemistry) Any specific gas. | |
14. n. (snowboarding, skateboarding, motor sports) A jump in which one becomes airborne. | |
15. n. A television or radio signal. | |
16. v. To bring (something) into contact with the air, so as to freshen or dry it. | |
17. v. To let fresh air into a room or a building, to ventilate. | |
It's getting quite stuffy in this room: let's open the windows and air it. | |
18. v. To discuss varying viewpoints on a given topic. | |
19. v. To broadcast, as with a television show. | |
20. v. (UK, MLE, slang) to ignore | |
close |
1. v. (physical) To remove a gap. | |
2. v. To obstruct (an opening). | |
3. v. To move so that an opening is closed. | |
Close the door behind you when you leave. | |
Jim was listening to headphones with his eyes closed. | |
4. v. To make (e.g. a gap) smaller. | |
The runner in second place is closing the gap on the leader. | |
to close the ranks of an army | |
5. v. To grapple; to engage in close combat. | |
6. v. (social) To finish, to terminate. | |
7. v. To put an end to; to conclude; to complete; to finish; to consummate. | |
close the session; to close a bargain; to close a course of instruction | |
8. v. To come to an end. | |
The debate closed at six o'clock. | |
9. v. (marketing) To make a sale. | |
10. v. (baseball, pitching) To make the final outs, usually three, of a game. | |
He has closed the last two games for his team. | |
11. v. (figurative, computing) To terminate an application, window, file or database connection, etc. | |
12. v. To come or gather around; to enclose; to encompass; to confine. | |
13. v. (surveying) To have a vector sum of 0; that is, to form a closed polygon. | |
14. n. An end or conclusion. | |
We owe them our thanks for bringing the project to a successful close. | |
15. n. The manner of shutting; the union of parts; junction. | |
16. n. A grapple in wrestling. | |
17. n. (music) The conclusion of a strain of music; cadence. | |
18. n. (music) A double bar marking the end. | |
19. adj. (now rare) Closed, shut. | |
20. adj. Narrow; confined. | |
a close alley; close quarters | |
21. adj. At a little distance; near. | |
Is your house close? | |
22. adj. Intimate; well-loved. | |
He is a close friend. | |
23. adj. (legal) Of a corporation or other business entity, closely held. | |
24. adj. Oppressive; without motion or ventilation; causing a feeling of lassitude. | |
25. adj. (Ireland, England, Scotland, weather) Hot, humid, with no wind. | |
26. adj. (linguistics, phonetics, of a vowel) Articulated with the tongue body relatively close to the hard palate. | |
27. adj. Strictly confined; carefully guarded. | |
a close prisoner | |
28. adj. (obsolete) Out of the way of observation; secluded; secret; hidden. | |
29. adj. Nearly equal; almost evenly balanced. | |
a close contest | |
30. adj. Short. | |
to cut grass or hair close | |
31. adj. (archaic) Dense; solid; compact. | |
32. adj. (archaic) Concise; to the point. | |
close reasoning | |
33. adj. (dated) Difficult to obtain. | |
Money is close. | |
34. adj. (dated) Parsimonious; stingy. | |
35. adj. Adhering strictly to a standard or original; exact. | |
a close translation | |
36. adj. Accurate; careful; precise; also, attentive; undeviating; strict. | |
The patient was kept under close observation. | |
37. adj. Marked, evident. | |
38. n. (now rare) An enclosed field. | |
39. n. (British) A street that ends in a dead end. | |
40. n. (Scotland) A very narrow alley between two buildings, often overhung by one of the buildings above the ground floor. | |
41. n. (Scotland) The common staircase in a tenement. | |
42. n. A cathedral close. | |
43. n. (legal) The interest which one may have in a piece of ground, even though it is not enclosed. | |
to |
1. part. A particle used for marking the following verb as an infinitive. | |
I want to leave. | |
He asked me what to do. | |
I don’t know how to say it. | |
I have places to go and people to see. | |
2. part. As above, with the verb implied. | |
"Did you visit the museum?" "I wanted to, but it was closed.". | |
If he hasn't read it yet, he ought to. | |
3. part. A particle used to create phrasal verbs. | |
I have to do laundry today. | |
4. prep. Indicating destination: In the direction of, and arriving at. | |
We are walking to the shop. | |
5. prep. Used to indicate purpose. | |
He devoted himself to education. | |
They drank to his health. | |
6. prep. Used to indicate result of action. | |
His face was beaten to a pulp. | |
7. prep. Used after an adjective to indicate its application. | |
similar to ..., relevant to ..., pertinent to ..., I was nice to him, he was cruel to her, I am used to walking. | |
8. prep. (obsolete,) As a. | |
With God to friend (with God as a friend); with The Devil to fiend (with the Devil as a foe); lambs slaughtered to lake (lambs slaughtered as a sacrifice); t | |
9. prep. (arithmetic) Used to indicate a ratio or comparison. | |
one to one = 1:1 | |
ten to one = 10:1. | |
I have ten dollars to your four. | |
10. prep. (arithmetic) Used to indicate that the preceding term is to be raised to the power of the following value; indicates exponentiation. | |
Three squared or three to the second power is nine. | |
Three to the power of two is nine. | |
Three to the second is nine. | |
11. prep. Used to indicate the indirect object. | |
I gave the book to him. | |
12. prep. (time) Preceding. | |
ten to ten = 9:50; We're going to leave at ten to (the hour). | |
13. prep. Used to describe what something consists of or contains. | |
Anyone could do this job; there's nothing to it. | |
There's a lot of sense to what he says. | |
14. prep. (Canada, UK, Newfoundland, West Midlands) At. | |
Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y. | |
15. adv. Toward a closed, touching or engaging position. | |
Please push the door to. | |
16. adv. (nautical) Into the wind. | |
17. adv. misspelling of too | |
the |
1. art. Definite grammatical article that implies necessarily that an entity it articulates is presupposed; something already mentioned, or completely specified later in that same sentence, or assumed already | |
I’m reading the book. (Compare I’m reading a book.) | |
The street in front of your house. (Compare A street in Paris.) | |
The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird. | |
2. art. Used before a noun modified by a restrictive relative clause, indicating that the noun refers to a single referent defined by the relative clause. | |
The street that runs through my hometown. | |
3. art. Used before an object considered to be unique, or of which there is only one at a time. | |
No one knows how many galaxies there are in the universe. | |
God save the Queen! | |
4. art. Used before a superlative or an ordinal number modifying a noun, to indicate that the noun refers to a single item. | |
That was the best apple pie ever. | |
5. art. Added to a superlative or an ordinal number to make it into a substantive. | |
That apple pie was the best. | |
6. art. Introducing a singular term to be taken generically: preceding a name of something standing for a whole class. | |
7. art. Used before an adjective, indicating all things (especially persons) described by that adjective. | |
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. | |
8. art. Used to indicate a certain example of (a noun) which is usually of most concern or most common or familiar. | |
No one in the whole country had seen it before. | |
I don't think I'll get to it until the morning. | |
9. art. Used before a body part (especially of someone previously mentioned), as an alternative to a possessive pronoun. | |
A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”) | |
10. art. When stressed, indicates that it describes an object which is considered to be best or exclusively worthy of attention. | |
That is the hospital to go to for heart surgery. | |
11. adv. 1=With a comparative ormore and a verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives. | |
The hotter the better. | |
The more I think about it, the weaker it looks. | |
The more money donated, the more books purchased, and the more happy children. | |
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it. | |
12. adv. 1=With a comparative, and often withfor it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated withnone. | |
It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it. | |
It was a difficult time, and I’m none the wiser for it. | |
I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that. | |
ground |
1. n. The surface of the Earth, as opposed to the sky or water or underground. | |
2. n. Terrain. | |
3. n. Soil, earth. | |
The worm crawls through the ground. | |
The fox escaped from the hounds by going to ground. | |
4. n. The bottom of a body of water. | |
5. n. Basis, foundation, groundwork, legwork. | |
6. n. reason, Reason, (epistemic) justification, cause. | |
You will need to show good grounds for your action. | |
He could not come on grounds of health, or on health grounds. | |
7. n. Background, context, framework, surroundings. | |
8. n. (historical) The area on which a battle is fought, particularly as referring to the area occupied by one side or the other. Often, according to the eventualities, "to give ground" or "to gain ground". | |
9. n. (metaphorical) Hence, by extension, advantage given or gained in any contest; e.g. in football, chess, debate or academic discourse. | |
10. n. plain surface upon which the figures of an artistic composition are set. | |
crimson flowers on a white ground | |
11. n. In sculpture, a flat surface upon which figures are raised in relief. | |
12. n. In point lace, the net of small meshes upon which the embroidered pattern is applied. | |
Brussels ground | |
13. n. In etching, a gummy substance spread over the surface of a metal to be etched, to prevent the acid from eating except where an opening is made by the needle. | |
14. n. (architecture, mostly, in the plural) One of the pieces of wood, flush with the plastering, to which mouldings etc. are attached. | |
Grounds are usually put up first and the plastering floated flush with them. | |
15. n. A soccer stadium. | |
Manchester United's ground is known as Old Trafford. | |
16. n. (electricity, Canadian, and US) An electrical conductor connected to the ground. | |
17. n. (electricity, Canadian, and US) A level of electrical potential used as a zero reference. | |
18. n. (cricket) The area of grass on which a match is played (a cricket field); the entire arena in which it is played; the part of the field behind a batsman's popping crease where he can not be run out (h | |
19. n. (music) A composition in which the bass, consisting of a few bars of independent notes, is continually repeated to a varying melody. | |
20. n. (music) The tune on which descants are raised; the plain song. | |
21. n. The pit of a theatre. | |
22. v. (US) To connect (an electrical conductor or device) to a ground. | |
23. v. To punish, especially a child or teenager, by forcing him/her to stay at home and/or give up certain privileges. | |
If you don't clean your room, I'll have no choice but to ground you. | |
Eric, you are grounded until further notice for lying to us about where you were last night! | |
My kids are currently grounded from television. | |
24. v. To forbid (an aircraft or pilot) to fly. | |
Because of the bad weather, all flights were grounded. | |
25. v. To give a basic education in a particular subject; to instruct in elements or first principles. | |
Jim was grounded in maths. | |
26. v. (baseball) to hit a ground ball; to hit a ground ball which results in an out. Compare fly (verb(regular)) and line (verb). | |
Jones grounded to second in his last at-bat. | |
27. v. (cricket) (of a batsman) to place his bat, or part of his body, on the ground behind the popping crease so as not to be run out | |
28. v. (intransitive) To run aground; to strike the bottom and remain fixed. | |
The ship grounded on the bar. | |
29. v. To found; to fix or set, as on a foundation, reason, or principle; to furnish a ground for; to fix firmly. | |
30. v. (fine arts) To cover with a ground, as a copper plate for etching, or as paper or other materials with a uniform tint as a preparation for ornament. | |
31. v. To improve or focus the mental or emotional state of. | |
I ground myself with meditation. | |
32. v. simple past tense and past participle of grind | |
I ground the coffee up nicely. | |
33. adj. Crushed, or reduced to small particles. | |
ground mustard seed | |
34. adj. Processed by grinding. | |
lenses of ground glass | |
grind |
1. v. To reduce to smaller pieces by crushing with lateral motion. | |
2. v. To shape with the force of friction. | |
grind a lens | |
grind an axe | |
3. v. (metalworking) To remove material by rubbing with an abrasive surface. | |
4. v. To become ground, pulverized, or polished by friction. | |
This corn grinds well. | |
Steel grinds to a sharp edge. | |
5. v. To move with much difficulty or friction; to grate. | |
6. v. (sports) To slide the flat portion of a skateboard or snowboard across an obstacle such as a railing. | |
7. v. To oppress, hold down or weaken. | |
8. v. (slang) To rotate the hips erotically. | |
9. v. (slang) To dance in a sexually suggestive way with both partners in very close proximity, often pressed against each other. | |
10. v. (video games) To repeat a task a large number of times in a row to achieve a specific goal. | |
11. v. To operate by turning a crank. | |
to grind an organ | |
12. v. To produce mechanically and repetitively as if by turning a crank. | |
13. v. To instill through repetitive teaching. | |
Grinding lessons into students' heads does not motivate them to learn. | |
14. v. (slang) To eat. | |
Eh, brah, let's go grind. | |
15. v. (slang) To work or study hard; to hustle or drudge. | |
16. n. The act of reducing to powder, or of sharpening, by friction. | |
17. n. Something that has been reduced to powder, something that has been ground. | |
18. n. A specific degree of pulverization of coffee beans. | |
This bag contains espresso grind. | |
19. n. A tedious and laborious task. | |
Synonyms: chore | |
This homework is a grind. | |
20. n. A grinding trick on a skateboard or snowboard. | |
21. n. (archaic, slang) One who studies hard; a swot. | |
22. n. grindcore, Grindcore (subgenre of heavy metal) | |
23. n. A traditional communal pilot whale hunt in the Faroe Islands. | |
giving |
1. v. present participle of give | |
These bright surfaces are sprayed with a fine spray of ink, thus giving them an even surface. - First Usenet use via Google Groups, fa.human-nets, 6 May 1981 0359-EDT, Gary Feldman at CMU-10A | |
2. adj. having the tendency to give; generous | |
To become like Christ involves everything else: becoming a loving and giving person, having confidence enabling you to be vulnerable (psychologically and physically; Jesus did both), having the | |
3. n. The act of bestowing as a gift; a conferring or imparting. | |
4. n. A gift; a benefaction. | |
5. n. The act of softening, breaking, or yielding. | |
give |
1. v. (ditransitive) To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere. | |
2. v. To transfer one's possession or holding of (something) to (someone). | |
I gave him my coat. | |
I gave my coat to the beggar. | |
When they asked, I gave my coat. | |
3. v. To make a present or gift of. | |
I'm going to give my wife a necklace for her birthday. | |
She gave a pair of shoes to her husband for their anniversary. | |
He gives of his energies to the organization. | |
4. v. To pledge. | |
I gave him my word that I'd protect his children. | |
5. v. To provide (something) to (someone), to allow or afford. | |
I gave them permission to miss tomorrow's class. | |
Please give me some more time. | |
6. v. To cause (a sensation or feeling) to exist in. | |
It gives me a lot of pleasure to be here tonight. | |
The fence gave me an electric shock. | |
My mother-in-law gives me nothing but grief. | |
7. v. To carry out (a physical interaction) with (something). | |
I want to give you a kiss. | |
She gave him a hug. | |
I'd like to give the tire a kick. | |
I gave the boy a push on the swing. | |
She gave me a wink afterwards, so I knew she was joking. | |
8. v. To pass (something) into (someone's) hand or the like. | |
Give me your hand. | |
On entering the house, he gave his coat to the doorman. | |
9. v. To cause (a disease or condition) in, or to transmit (a disease or condition) to. | |
My boyfriend gave me chlamydia. | |
He was convinced that it was his alcoholism that gave him cancer. | |
10. v. (ditransitive) To estimate or predict (a duration or probability) for (something). | |
I give it ten minutes before he gives up. | |
I give it a 95% chance of success. | |
I'll give their marriage six months. | |
11. v. (intransitive) To yield slightly when a force is applied. | |
12. v. (intransitive) To collapse under pressure or force. | |
One pillar gave, then more, and suddenly the whole floor pancaked onto the floor below. | |
13. v. To provide, as, a service or a broadcast. | |
They're giving my favorite show! | |
14. v. (intransitive) To lead (onto or into). | |
The master bedroom gives onto a spacious balcony. | |
15. v. (transitive, dated) To provide a view of. | |
His window gave the park. | |
16. v. To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to yield. | |
The number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship. | |
17. v. To cause; to make; used with the infinitive. | |
18. v. To cause (someone) to have; produce in (someone); effectuate. | |
19. v. To allow or admit by way of supposition; to concede. | |
He can be bad-tempered, I'll give you that, but he's a hard worker. | |
20. v. To attribute; to assign; to adjudge. | |
21. v. To communicate or announce (advice, tidings, etc.); to pronounce or utter (an opinion, a judgment, a shout, etc.). | |
22. v. (dated) To grant power or permission to; to allow. | |
23. v. (reflexive) To devote or apply (oneself). | |
The soldiers give themselves to plunder. | |
That boy is given to fits of bad temper. | |
24. v. (obsolete) To become soft or moist. | |
25. v. (obsolete) To shed tears; to weep. | |
26. v. (obsolete) To have a misgiving. | |
27. v. To be going on, to be occurring | |
What gives? | |
28. n. The amount of bending that something undergoes when a force is applied to it; a tendency to yield under pressure; resilence. | |
This chair doesn't have much give. | |
There is no give in his dogmatic religious beliefs. | |
the |
1. art. Definite grammatical article that implies necessarily that an entity it articulates is presupposed; something already mentioned, or completely specified later in that same sentence, or assumed already | |
I’m reading the book. (Compare I’m reading a book.) | |
The street in front of your house. (Compare A street in Paris.) | |
The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird. | |
2. art. Used before a noun modified by a restrictive relative clause, indicating that the noun refers to a single referent defined by the relative clause. | |
The street that runs through my hometown. | |
3. art. Used before an object considered to be unique, or of which there is only one at a time. | |
No one knows how many galaxies there are in the universe. | |
God save the Queen! | |
4. art. Used before a superlative or an ordinal number modifying a noun, to indicate that the noun refers to a single item. | |
That was the best apple pie ever. | |
5. art. Added to a superlative or an ordinal number to make it into a substantive. | |
That apple pie was the best. | |
6. art. Introducing a singular term to be taken generically: preceding a name of something standing for a whole class. | |
7. art. Used before an adjective, indicating all things (especially persons) described by that adjective. | |
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. | |
8. art. Used to indicate a certain example of (a noun) which is usually of most concern or most common or familiar. | |
No one in the whole country had seen it before. | |
I don't think I'll get to it until the morning. | |
9. art. Used before a body part (especially of someone previously mentioned), as an alternative to a possessive pronoun. | |
A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”) | |
10. art. When stressed, indicates that it describes an object which is considered to be best or exclusively worthy of attention. | |
That is the hospital to go to for heart surgery. | |
11. adv. 1=With a comparative ormore and a verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives. | |
The hotter the better. | |
The more I think about it, the weaker it looks. | |
The more money donated, the more books purchased, and the more happy children. | |
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it. | |
12. adv. 1=With a comparative, and often withfor it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated withnone. | |
It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it. | |
It was a difficult time, and I’m none the wiser for it. | |
I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that. | |
appearance |
1. n. The act of appearing or coming into sight; the act of becoming visible to the eye. | |
His sudden appearance surprised me. | |
2. n. A thing seen; a phenomenon; an apparition. | |
There was a strange appearance in the sky. | |
3. n. The way something looks; personal presence | |
4. n. Apparent likeness; the way which something or someone appears to others. | |
Some people say I'm shallow because I care so much about my appearance. | |
5. n. (philosophy, theology) That which is not substance, essence, hypostasis; the outward reality as opposed to the underlying reality | |
Catholicism teaches that the Eucharist, while remaining under the physical appearance of bread and wine, becomes really and truly the body and the blood of Christ. | |
6. n. The act of appearing in a particular place, or in society, a company, or any proceedings; a coming before the public in a particular character. | |
A person makes his appearance as an historian, an artist, or an orator. | |
David Beckham's first appearance with the LA Galaxy at Giants Stadium against the New York Red Bulls last night drew a crowd of 66237. | |
7. n. (legal) An instance of someone coming into a court of law to be part of a trial, either in person or represented by an attorney or such like; a court appearance | |
8. n. (medical) Chiefly used by nurses: the act of defecation by a patient. | |
The patient had a small bowel obstruction and there was no appearance until after the obstruction resolved. | |
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. | |
there |
1. adv. (location) In a place or location (stated, implied or otherwise indicated) at some distance from the speaker (compare here). | |
2. adv. (figuratively) In that matter, relation, etc.; at that point, stage, etc., regarded as a distinct place. | |
He did not stop there, but continued his speech. | |
They patched up their differences, but matters did not end there. | |
3. adv. (location) To or into that place; thither. | |
4. adv. (obsolete) Where, there where, in which place. | |
5. adv. In existence or in this world; see pronoun section below. | |
6. interj. Used to offer encouragement or sympathy. | |
There, there. Everything is going to turn out all right. | |
7. interj. Used to express victory or completion. | |
There! That knot should hold. | |
8. n. That place. | |
9. n. That status; that position. | |
You get it ready; I'll take it from there. | |
10. pron. Used as an expletive subject of be in its sense of “exist”, with the semantic, usually indefinite subject being postponed or (occasionally) implied. | |
There are two apples on the table. =Two apples are on the table. | |
There is no way to do it. =No way to do it exists. | |
Is there an answer? =Does an answer exist? | |
No, there isn't. =No, one doesn't exist. | |
11. pron. Used with other intransitive verbs of existence, in the same sense, or with other intransitive verbs, adding a sense of existence. | |
If x is a positive number, then there exists =there is a positive number y less than x. | |
There remain several problems with this approach. =Several problems remain with this approach. | |
Once upon a time, in a now-forgotten kingdom, there lived a woodsman with his wife. =There was a woodsman, who lived with his wife. | |
There arose a great wind out of the east. =There was now a great wind, arising in the east. | |
12. pron. Used with other verbs, when raised. | |
There seems to be some difficulty with the papers. =It seems that there is some difficulty with the papers. | |
I expected there to be a simpler solution. =I expected that there would be a simpler solution. | |
There are beginning to be complications. =It's beginning to be the case that there are complications. | |
13. pron. (in combination with certain prepositions, no longer productive) That. | |
therefor, thereat, thereunder | |
14. pron. (colloquial) Used to replace an unknown name, principally in greetings and farewells | |
Hi there, young fellow. | |
15. contraction. misspelling of they’re | |
16. det. misspelling of their | |
being |
1. v. present participle of be | |
2. n. A living creature. | |
3. n. The state or fact of existence, consciousness, or life, or something in such a state. | |
4. n. (philosophy) That which has actuality (materially or in concept). | |
5. n. (philosophy) One's basic nature, or the qualities thereof; essence or personality. | |
6. n. (obsolete) An abode; a cottage. | |
7. conj. (obsolete) Given that; since. | |
be |
1. v. (intransitive, now literary) To exist; to have real existence. | |
2. v. (with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist. | |
There is just one woman in town who can help us. (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us. | |
3. v. (intransitive) To occupy a place. | |
The cup is on the table. | |
4. v. (intransitive) To occur, to take place. | |
When will the meeting be? | |
5. v. (intransitive, in perfect tenses, without predicate) Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar. | |
The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come. | |
I have been to Spain many times. | |
Moscow, huh? I've never been, but it sounds fascinating. | |
6. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject and object are the same. | |
Knowledge is bliss. | |
Hi, I’m Jim. | |
7. v. (transitive, copulative, mathematics) Used to indicate that the values on either side of an equation are the same. | |
3 times 5 is fifteen. | |
8. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject plays the role of the predicate nominal. | |
François Mitterrand was president of France from 1981 to 1995. | |
9. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to connect a noun to an adjective that describes it. | |
The sky is blue. | |
10. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase. | |
The sky is a deep blue today. | |
11. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the passive voice. | |
The dog was drowned by the boy. | |
12. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the continuous forms of various tenses. | |
The woman is walking. | |
I shall be writing to you soon. | |
We liked to chat while we were eating. | |
13. v. (archaic, auxiliary) Used to form the perfect aspect with certain intransitive verbs, most of which indicate motion. Often still used for "to go". | |
14. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form future tenses, especially the future periphrastic. | |
I am to leave tomorrow. | |
I would drive you, were I to obtain a car. | |
15. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to link a subject to a measurement. | |
This building is three hundred years old. | |
I am 75 kilograms. | |
He’s about 6 feet tall. | |
16. v. (transitive, copulative, with a cardinal numeral) Used to state the age of a subject in years. | |
I’m 20. (= I am 20 years old.) | |
17. v. (with a dummy subject) it Used to indicate the time of day. | |
It is almost eight. (= It is almost eight o’clock.) | |
It’s 8:30 read eight-thirty in Tokyo. | |
What time is it there? It’s night. | |
18. v. (With since) Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event. | |
It has been three years since my grandmother died. (similar to My grandmother died three years ago, but emphasizes the intervening period) | |
It had been six days since his departure, when I received a letter from him. | |
19. v. (often, impersonal, with it as a dummy subject) Used to indicate weather, air quality, or the like. | |
It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid. | |
Why is it so dark in here? | |
20. v. (dynamic/lexical "be", especially in progressive tenses, conjugated non-suppletively in the present tense, see usage notes) To exist or behave in a certain way. | |
"What do we do?" "We be ourselves.". | |
Why is he being nice to me? | |
refuge |
1. n. A state of safety, protection or shelter. | |
2. n. A place providing safety, protection or shelter. | |
3. n. Something or someone turned to for safety or assistance; a recourse or resort. | |
4. n. An expedient to secure protection or defence. | |
5. n. A refuge island. | |
6. v. (intransitive) To return to a place of shelter. | |
7. v. (transitive, obsolete) To shelter; to protect. | |
in |
1. prep. Used to indicate location, inclusion, or position within spatial, temporal or other limits. | |
2. prep. Contained by. | |
The dog is in the kennel. | |
3. prep. Within. | |
4. prep. Surrounded by. | |
We are in the enemy camp. Her plane is in the air. | |
5. prep. Part of; a member of. | |
One in a million. She's in band and orchestra. | |
6. prep. Pertaining to; with regard to. | |
What grade did he get in English? | |
Military letters should be formal in tone, but not stilted. | |
7. prep. At the end of a period of time. | |
They said they would call us in a week. | |
8. prep. Within a certain elapsed time | |
Are you able to finish this in three hours? The massacre resulted in over 1000 deaths in three hours. | |
9. prep. During (said of periods of time). | |
in the first week of December; Easter falls in the fourth lunar month; The country reached a high level of prosperity in his fi | |
10. prep. (grammar, phonetics, of sounds and letters) Coming at the end of a word. | |
English nouns in -ce form their plurals in -s. | |
11. prep. Into. | |
Less water gets in your boots this way. | |
12. prep. Used to indicate limit, qualification, condition, or circumstance. | |
In replacing the faucet washers, he felt he was making his contribution to the environment. | |
13. prep. Indicating an order or arrangement. | |
My fat rolls around in folds. | |
14. prep. Denoting a state of the subject. | |
He stalked away in anger. John is in a coma. | |
15. prep. Indicates, connotatively, a place-like form of someone's (or something's) personality, as his, her or its psychic and physical characteristics. | |
You've got a friend in me. He's met his match in her. | |
16. prep. Wearing (an item of clothing). | |
I glanced over at the pretty girl in the red dress. | |
17. prep. Used to indicate means, medium, format, genre, or instrumentality. | |
18. prep. (of something offered or given in an exchange) In the form of, in the denomination of. | |
Please pay me in cash — preferably in tens and twenties. | |
The deposit can be in any legal tender, even in gold. | |
Her generosity was rewarded in the success of its recipients. | |
19. prep. Used to indicate a language, script, tone, etc. of a text, speech, etc. | |
Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" in C minor is among his most popular. | |
His speech was in French, but was simultaneously translated into eight languages. | |
When you write in cursive, it's illegible. | |
20. v. (obsolete, transitive) To enclose. | |
21. v. (obsolete, transitive) To take in; to harvest. | |
22. adv. (not comparable) Located indoors, especially at home or the office, or inside something. | |
Is Mr. Smith in? | |
23. adv. Moving to the interior of a defined space, such as a building or room. | |
Suddenly a strange man walked in. | |
24. adv. (sports) Still eligible to play, e.g. able to bat in cricket and baseball. | |
He went for the wild toss but wasn't able to stay in. | |
25. adv. (UK) Abbreviation of in aid of. | |
What's that in? | |
26. adv. After the beginning of something. | |
27. n. A position of power or a way to get it. | |
His parents got him an in with the company | |
28. n. (sport) The state of a batter/batsman who is currently batting – see innings | |
29. n. A re-entrant angle; a nook or corner. | |
30. adj. In fashion; popular. | |
Skirts are in this year. | |
31. adj. Incoming. | |
the in train | |
32. adj. (nautical, of the sails of a vessel) Furled or stowed. | |
33. adj. (legal) With privilege or possession; used to denote a holding, possession, or seisin. | |
in by descent; in by purchase; in of the seisin of her husband | |
34. adj. (cricket) Currently batting. | |
35. n. Inch. | |
the |
1. art. Definite grammatical article that implies necessarily that an entity it articulates is presupposed; something already mentioned, or completely specified later in that same sentence, or assumed already | |
I’m reading the book. (Compare I’m reading a book.) | |
The street in front of your house. (Compare A street in Paris.) | |
The men and women watched the man give the birdseed to the bird. | |
2. art. Used before a noun modified by a restrictive relative clause, indicating that the noun refers to a single referent defined by the relative clause. | |
The street that runs through my hometown. | |
3. art. Used before an object considered to be unique, or of which there is only one at a time. | |
No one knows how many galaxies there are in the universe. | |
God save the Queen! | |
4. art. Used before a superlative or an ordinal number modifying a noun, to indicate that the noun refers to a single item. | |
That was the best apple pie ever. | |
5. art. Added to a superlative or an ordinal number to make it into a substantive. | |
That apple pie was the best. | |
6. art. Introducing a singular term to be taken generically: preceding a name of something standing for a whole class. | |
7. art. Used before an adjective, indicating all things (especially persons) described by that adjective. | |
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. | |
8. art. Used to indicate a certain example of (a noun) which is usually of most concern or most common or familiar. | |
No one in the whole country had seen it before. | |
I don't think I'll get to it until the morning. | |
9. art. Used before a body part (especially of someone previously mentioned), as an alternative to a possessive pronoun. | |
A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”) | |
10. art. When stressed, indicates that it describes an object which is considered to be best or exclusively worthy of attention. | |
That is the hospital to go to for heart surgery. | |
11. adv. 1=With a comparative ormore and a verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives. | |
The hotter the better. | |
The more I think about it, the weaker it looks. | |
The more money donated, the more books purchased, and the more happy children. | |
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it. | |
12. adv. 1=With a comparative, and often withfor it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated withnone. | |
It was a difficult time, but I’m the wiser for it. | |
It was a difficult time, and I’m none the wiser for it. | |
I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that. | |
distance |
1. n. The amount of space between two points, usually geographical points, usually (but not necessarily) measured along a straight line. | |
The distance to Petersborough is thirty miles. | |
From Moscow, the distance is relatively short to Saint Petersburg, relatively long to Novosibirsk, but even greater to Vladivostok. | |
2. n. Length or interval of time. | |
3. n. (informal) The difference; the subjective measure between two quantities. | |
We're narrowing the distance between the two versions of the bill. The distance between the lowest and next gear on my bicycle is annoying. | |
4. n. Remoteness of place; a remote place. | |
5. n. Remoteness in succession or relation. | |
the distance between a descendant and his ancestor | |
6. n. A space marked out in the last part of a racecourse. | |
7. n. (figuratively) The entire amount of progress to an objective. | |
He had promised to perform this task, but did not go the distance. | |
8. n. (figuratively) A withholding of intimacy; alienation; variance. | |
The friendship did not survive the row: they kept each other at a distance. | |
9. n. The remoteness or reserve which respect requires; hence, respect; ceremoniousness. | |
10. n. The space measured back from the winning-post which a racehorse running in a heat must reach when the winner has covered the whole course, in order to run in the final heat. | |
11. v. To move away (from) someone or something. | |
He distanced himself from the comments made by some of his colleagues. | |
12. v. To leave at a distance; to outpace, leave behind. | |