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. | |
hollow |
1. n. A small valley between mountains. | |
He built himself a cabin in a hollow high up in the Rockies. | |
2. n. A sunken area or unfilled space in something solid; a cavity, natural or artificial. | |
the hollow of the hand or of a tree | |
3. n. (US) A sunken area. | |
4. n. (figuratively) A feeling of emptiness. | |
a hollow in the pit of one's stomach | |
5. n. An exercise in which one lies on one's back with legs and head in the air and arms in the air extended above the head | |
6. v. to make a hole in something; to excavate | |
7. adj. (of something solid) Having an empty space or cavity inside. | |
a hollow tree; a hollow sphere | |
8. adj. (of a sound) Distant, eerie; echoing, reverberating, as if in a hollow space; dull, muffled; often low-pitched. | |
He let out a hollow moan. | |
9. adj. (figuratively) Without substance; having no real or significant worth; meaningless. | |
a hollow victory | |
10. adj. (figuratively) Insincere, devoid of validity; specious. | |
a hollow promise | |
11. adj. concave; gaunt; sunken. | |
12. adj. (gymnastics) pertaining to hollow body position | |
13. adv. (colloquial) Completely, as part of the phrase beat hollow or beat all hollow. | |
14. v. To urge or call by shouting; to hollo. | |
15. interj. alternative form of hollo | |
or |
1. conj. Connects at least two alternative words, phrases, clauses, sentences, etc. each of which could make a passage true. In English, this is the "inclusive or." The "exclusive or" is formed by "either(...) | |
In Ohio, anyone under the age of 18 who wants a tattoo or body piercing needs the consent of a parent or guardian. | |
He might get cancer, or be hit by a bus, or God knows what. | |
2. conj. (logic) An operator denoting the disjunction of two propositions or truth values. There are two forms, the inclusive or and the exclusive or. | |
3. conj. Counts the elements before and after as two possibilities. | |
4. conj. Otherwise (a consequence of the condition that the previous is false). | |
It's raining! Come inside or you'll catch a cold! | |
5. conj. Connects two equivalent names. | |
The country Myanmar, or Burma | |
6. n. (logic, electronics) alternative form of OR | |
7. n. (tincture) The gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms. | |
8. adj. (tincture) Of gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms. | |
9. adv. (obsolete) Early (on). | |
10. adv. (obsolete) Earlier, previously. | |
11. prep. (now archaic, or dialect) Before; ere. | |
separation |
1. n. The act of disuniting two or more things, or the condition of being separated. | |
2. n. The place at which a division occurs. | |
3. n. An interval, gap or space that separates things. | |
4. n. (legal) An agreement terminating a relationship between a married couple, but short of a divorce. | |
5. n. (military) Departure from active duty, while not necessarily leaving the service entirely. | |
between |
1. prep. In the position or interval that separates (two things), or intermediate in quantity or degree. (See Usage notes below.) | |
John stood between Amy and Mary. Let's meet between two and three. | |
I want to buy one that costs somewhere between forty and fifty dollars. | |
2. prep. Done together or reciprocally. | |
conversation between friends | |
3. prep. Shared in confidence. | |
Between you and me, I think the boss is crazy. Let's keep this between ourselves. | |
4. prep. In transit from (one to the other, or connecting places). | |
He's between jobs right now. The shuttle runs between the town and the airport. | |
5. prep. Combined (by effort or ownership). | |
Between us all, we shall succeed. We've only got £5 between us. | |
Between the leaky taps and the peeling wallpaper, there isn't much about this house to appeal to a buyer. | |
6. prep. One of (representing a choice). | |
You must choose between him and me. | |
Some colour-blind people can't distinguish between red and green. | |
7. n. A kind of needle, shorter than a sharp, with a small rounded eye, used for making fine stitches on heavy fabrics. | |
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. | |
woman |
1. n. An adult female human. | |
2. n. (collective) All females collectively; womankind. | |
3. n. A wife (or sometimes a fiancée or girlfriend). | |
4. n. A female who is extremely fond of or devoted to a specified type of thing. (Used as the last element of a compound.) | |
5. n. A female attendant or servant. | |
6. v. To staff with female labor. | |
7. v. To make effeminate or womanish. | |
8. v. To furnish with, or unite to, a woman. | |
9. v. To call (a person) "woman" in a disrespectful fashion. | |
breasts |
1. n. plural of breast | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of breast | |
breast |
1. n. (anatomy) Either of the two organs on the front of a female human's chest, which contain the mammary glands; also the analogous organs in males. | |
Tanya's breasts grew remarkably during pregnancy. | |
2. n. (anatomy) The chest, or front of the human thorax. | |
3. n. A section of clothing covering the breast area. | |
4. n. The figurative seat of the emotions, feelings etc.; one's heart or innermost thoughts. | |
She kindled hope in the breast of all who heard her. | |
5. n. The ventral portion of an animal's thorax. | |
The robin has a red breast. | |
6. n. A choice cut of poultry, especially chicken or turkey, taken from the bird’s breast; also a cut of meat from other animals, breast of mutton, veal, pork. | |
Would you like breast or wing? | |
7. n. The front or forward part of anything. | |
a chimney breast; a plough breast | |
8. n. (mining) The face of a coal working. | |
9. n. (mining) The front of a furnace. | |
10. n. (obsolete) The power of singing; a musical voice. | |
11. v. (transitive, often, figurative) To push against with the breast; to meet full on, oppose, face | |
He breasted the hill and saw the town before him. | |
especially |
1. adv. (manner) In a special manner; specially. | |
2. adv. (focus) Particularly; to a greater extent than is normal. | |
3. adv. (focus) Used to place greater emphasis upon someone or something. | |
Invite them all, especially Molly. | |
As |
1. n. plural of A | |
She went from getting Cs and Ds to earning straight As. | |
2. adv. To such an extent or degree. | |
You’re not as tall as I am. | |
It's not as well made, but it's twice as expensive. | |
3. adv. In the manner or role specified. | |
The kidnappers released him as agreed. | |
The parties were seen as agreeing on a range of issues. | |
He was never seen as the boss, but rather as a friend. | |
4. adv. (dated) For example (compare such as). | |
5. conj. In the same way that; according to what. | |
Do as I say! | |
I'm under a lot of pressure, as you know. | |
As you wish, my lord! | |
6. conj. At the same instant that; when. | |
As I came in, she flew. | |
7. conj. At the same time that; while. | |
He sleeps as the rain falls. | |
8. conj. Varying through time in the same proportion that. | |
As my fear grew, so did my legs become heavy. | |
9. conj. Being that, considering that, because, since. | |
As it’s too late, I quit. | |
10. conj. Introducing a basis of comparison, after as, so, or a comparison of equality. | |
She's twice as strong as I was two years ago. | |
It's not so complicated as I expected. | |
11. conj. (dated) Introducing a comparison with a hypothetical state (+ subjunctive); ‘as though’, ‘as if’. | |
12. conj. Introducing a comparison with a hypothetical state with the verb elided; as if, as though. | |
13. conj. (now England, US, regional) Functioning as a relative conjunction; that. | |
14. conj. Expressing concession; though. | |
15. conj. (obsolete, rare) Than. | |
16. prep. Introducing a basis of comparison, with an object in the objective case. | |
You are not as tall as me. | |
They're big as houses. | |
17. prep. In the role of. | |
What is your opinion as a parent? | |
18. n. (unit of weight) A libra. | |
19. n. Any of several coins of Rome, coined in bronze or later copper; or the equivalent value. | |
20. n. plural of a | |
revealed |
1. adj. (religion) Of or pertaining to the revelations of a divinity to humankind. | |
2. v. simple past tense and past participle of reveal | |
reveal |
1. n. The outer side of a window or door frame; the jamb. | |
2. n. (cinematography, comedy) A revelation; an uncovering of what was hidden. | |
The comedian had been telling us about his sleep being disturbed by noise. Then came the reveal: he was sleeping on a bed in a department store. | |
3. n. (chiefly UK, Australia, NZ, obsolete in the US) The side of an opening for a window, doorway, or the like, between the door frame or window frame and the outer surface of the wall; or, where the openi | |
4. v. To uncover; to show and display that which was hidden. | |
5. v. To communicate that which could not be known or discovered without divine or supernatural instruction. | |
by |
1. prep. Near or next to. | |
The mailbox is by the bus stop. | |
2. prep. At some time before (the given time), or before the end of a given time interval. | |
Be back by ten o'clock! We will send it by the first week of July. | |
3. prep. Indicates the actor in a clause with its verb in the passive voice: Through the action or presence of. | |
The matter was decided by the chairman. The boat was swamped by the water. He was protected by his body armour. | |
4. prep. Indicates the creator of a work: Existing through the authorship etc. of. | |
There are many well-known plays by William Shakespeare | |
5. prep. Indicates the cause of a condition or event: Through the action of, caused by, responsibility for; by dint of. | |
6. prep. Indicates a means: Involving/using the means of. | |
I avoided the guards by moving only when they weren't looking. | |
7. prep. Indicates a source of light used as illumination. | |
The electricity was cut off, so we had to read by candlelight. | |
8. prep. Indicates an authority, rule, or permission followed. | |
I sorted the items by category. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. | |
9. prep. Indicates the amount of some progression: With a change of. | |
Our stock is up by ten percent. | |
10. prep. In the formulae X by X and by Xs, indicates a steady progression, one X after another. | |
We went through the book page by page. We crawled forward by inches. | |
11. prep. Indicates a referenced source: According to. | |
He cheated by his own admission. | |
12. prep. Indicates an oath: With the authority of. | |
By Jove! I think she's got it! By all that is holy, I'll put an end to this. | |
13. prep. Used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something. | |
It is easy to invert a 2-by-2 matrix. The room was about 4 foot by 6 foot. The bricks used to build the wall measured 10 by 20 by 30 cm. | |
14. prep. (horse breeding) Designates a horse's male parent (sire); cf. out of. | |
She's a lovely little filly, by Big Lad, out of Damsel in Distress. | |
15. adv. Along a path which runs by the speaker. | |
I watched as it passed by. | |
16. adv. In the vicinity, near. | |
There was a shepherd close by. | |
The shop is hard by the High Street. | |
17. adv. To or at a place, as a residence or place of business. | |
I'll stop by on my way home from work. | |
We're right near the lifeguard station. Come by before you leave. | |
18. adv. Aside, away. | |
The women spent much time after harvest putting jams by for winter and spring. | |
19. adj. Out of the way, subsidiary. | |
20. n. (card games) A pass | |
21. interj. alternative spelling of bye | |
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. | |
low |
1. adj. Situated close to, or even below, the ground or another normal reference plane; not high or lofty. | |
standing on low ground in a low valley, ringed by low hills a low wall a low shelf | |
2. adj. Pertaining to (or, especially of a language: spoken in) in an area which is at a lesser elevation, closer to sea level (especially near the sea), than | |
the low countries Low German | |
3. adj. (baseball, of a ball) Below the batter's knees. | |
the pitch (or: the ball) was low | |
4. adj. Of less than normal height; below the average or normal level from which elevation is measured. | |
a low bow a low tide the Mississippi is unusually low right now | |
5. adj. Not high in status, esteem or rank, dignity, or quality. (Compare vulgar). | |
low birth low rank the low officials of the bureaucracy low-quality fabric playing low tricks on them a person of low mind | |
Now that was low even for you! | |
6. adj. Humble, meek, not haughty. | |
7. adj. Disparaging; assigning little value or excellence. | |
She had a low opinion of cats. He took a low view of dogs. | |
8. adj. Being a nadir, a bottom. | |
the low point in her career | |
9. adj. Depressed in mood, dejected, sad. | |
low spirits | |
10. adj. Lacking health or vitality, strength or vivacity; feeble; weak. | |
a low pulse | |
made (or: laid) low by sickness | |
11. adj. Small, not high (in amount or quantity, value, force, energy, etc). | |
My credit union charges a low interest rate. Jogging during a whiteout, with such low temperatures and low visibility, is dangerous. The store sold bread at low prices, and milk a | |
12. adj. Having a small or comparatively smaller concentration of (a substance, which is often but not always linked by "in" when predicative). | |
diets low in vitamin A made from low-carbon steel | |
13. adj. Depleted, or nearing deletion; lacking in supply. | |
running low on cash | |
14. adj. (especially in the field of biology) Simple in complexity or development; (in several set phrases) favoring simplicity; see e.g. low church, Low Tory. | |
low protozoan animals, low cryptogamic plants, and other low organisms | |
15. adj. (in several set phrases) Being near the equator. | |
the low northern latitudes | |
16. adj. (acoustics) Grave in pitch, due to being produced by relatively slow vibrations (wave oscillations); flat. | |
The note was too low for her to sing. | |
Generally, European men have lower voices than their Indian counterparts. | |
17. adj. Quiet; soft; not loud. | |
They spoke in low voices so I would not hear what they were saying. | |
Why would you want to play heavy metal at such a low volume? | |
18. adj. (phonetics) Made with a relatively large opening between the tongue and the palate; made with (part of) the tongue positioned low in the mouth, relative to the palate. | |
19. adj. (card games) Lesser in value than other cards, denominations, suits, etc. | |
a low card | |
20. adj. (archaic) Not rich, seasoned, or nourishing; plain, simple. | |
a low diet | |
21. adj. (of an, automobile, gear, etc) Designed for a slow (or the slowest) speed. | |
low gear | |
22. n. Something that is low; a low point. | |
You have achieved a new low in behavior, Frank. | |
Economic growth has hit a new low. | |
23. n. The minimum value attained by some quantity within a specified period. | |
Unemployment has reached a ten-year low. | |
24. n. A depressed mood or situation. | |
He is in a low right now | |
25. n. (meteorology) An area of low pressure; a depression. | |
A deep low is centred over the British Isles. | |
26. n. The lowest-speed gearing of a power-transmission system, especially of an automotive vehicle. | |
Shift out of low before the car gets to eight miles per hour. | |
27. n. (card games) The lowest trump, usually the deuce; the lowest trump dealt or drawn. | |
28. n. (slang) (usually accompanied by "the") a cheap, cost-efficient, or advantageous payment or expense. | |
He got the brand new Yankees jersey for the low. | |
29. adv. Close to the ground. | |
30. adv. Of a pitch, at a lower frequency. | |
31. adv. With a low voice or sound; not loudly; gently. | |
to speak low | |
32. adv. Under the usual price; at a moderate price; cheaply. | |
He sold his wheat low. | |
33. adv. In a low mean condition; humbly; meanly. | |
34. adv. In a time approaching our own. | |
35. adv. (astronomy) In a path near the equator, so that the declination is small, or near the horizon, so that the altitude is small; said of the heavenly bodies with reference to the diurnal revolution. | |
The moon runs low, i.e. comparatively near the horizon when on or near the meridian. | |
36. v. (obsolete, transitive) To depress; to lower. | |
37. v. (obsolete) simple past tense of laugh. | |
38. v. (intransitive) To moo. | |
The cattle were lowing. | |
39. n. (UK, Scotland, dialect) A flame; fire; blaze. | |
40. v. (Scotland) To burn; to blaze. | |
41. n. (archaic, or obsolete) Barrow, mound, tumulus. | |
42. n. (Scottish dialectal, archaic) A hill. | |
43. n. cln, en, basic words, three-letter words | |
neckline |
1. n. The line followed by an article of clothing below the neck. | |