English Phrase of the Day

Definitions

English > English
on the tip of one's tongue
1. prep. known but not quite remembered
Her name is on the tip of my tongue: it's Kathy, or Karen, or something.
Analysis
on		©
1. adj. In the state of being active, functioning or operating.
2. adj. Performing according to schedule.
Are we still on for tonight?
Is the show still on?
3. adj. (chiefly UK, informal, usually negative) Acceptable, appropriate.
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.
tip		©
1. n. The extreme end of something, especially when pointed; e.g. the sharp end of a pencil.
the tip of one's nose
2. n. A piece of metal, fabric or other material used to cover the top of something for protection, utility or decoration.
a tip for an umbrella, a shoe, a gas burner, etc.
3. n. (music) The end of a bow of a stringed instrument that is not held.
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.
one
1. num. (cardinal) The number represented by the Arabic numeral 1; the numerical value equal to that cardinal number.
In some religions, there is only one god.
In many cultures, a baby turns one year old a year after its birth.
One person, one vote.
2. num. (number theory) The first positive number in the set of natural numbers.
tongue
1. n. The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is used to move food around, for tasting and that is moved into various positions to modify the flow of air from the lungs in order to produce different s
2. n. This organ, as taken from animals used for food (especially cows).−
cold tongue with mustard
3. n. (metonym) A language.
He was speaking in his native tongue.

Example Sentences

Instead of words, or buildings, here we have shadows and smears of woven light, which almost coalesce, like the thought on the tip of one's tongue.

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