figurative |
1. adj. Metaphorical or tropical, as opposed to literal; using figures; as of the use of "cats and dogs" in the phrase "It's raining cats and dogs". | |
2. adj. Metaphorically so called. | |
3. adj. With many figures of speech. | |
4. adj. Emblematic; representative | |
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. | |
line |
1. n. A path through two or more points (compare ‘segment’); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight. | |
The arrow descended in a curved line. | |
2. n. (geometry) An infinitely extending one-dimensional figure that has no curvature; one that has length but not breadth or thickness. | |
3. n. (geometry, informal) A line segment; a continuous finite segment of such a figure. | |
4. n. (graph theory) An edge of a graph. | |
5. n. (geography) A circle of latitude or of longitude, as represented on a map. | |
6. n. (geography, ‘the line’ or ‘equinoctial line’) The equator. | |
7. n. (music) One of the straight horizontal and parallel prolonged strokes on and between which the notes are placed. | |
8. n. (cricket) The horizontal path of a ball towards the batsman (see also length). | |
9. n. (soccer) The goal line. | |
10. n. A rope, cord, string, or thread, of any thickness. | |
11. n. A hose or pipe, of any size. | |
a brake line, the main water line to the house | |
12. n. Direction, path. | |
the line of sight; the line of vision | |
13. n. The wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, a telephone or internet cable between two points: a telephone or network connection. | |
I tried to make a call, but the line was dead. | |
a dedicated line; a shared line | |
Please speak up, the line is very faint. | |
14. n. A clothesline. | |
15. n. A letter, a written form of communication. | |
Drop me a line. | |
16. n. A connected series of public conveyances, as a roadbed or railway track; and hence, an established arrangement for forwarding merchandise, etc. | |
a line of stages; an express line | |
17. n. (military) A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces. | |
18. n. The exterior limit of a figure or territory: a boundary, contour, or outline; a demarcation. | |
19. n. A long tape or ribbon marked with units for measuring; a tape measure. | |
20. n. (obsolete) A measuring line or cord. | |
21. n. That which was measured by a line, such as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode. | |
22. n. A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark. | |
23. n. Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body). | |
24. n. A more-or-less straight sequence of people, objects, etc., either arranged as a queue or column and often waiting to be processed or dealt with, or arranged abreast of one another in a row (and contra | |
The line forms on the right. | |
There is a line of houses. | |
25. n. (military) The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery etc. | |
26. n. A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage. | |
27. n. A small amount of text. Specifically: | |
28. n. A written or printed row of letters, words, numbers or other text, especially a row of words extending across a page or column, or a blank in place of | |
The answer to the comprehension question can be found in the third line of the accompanying text. | |
29. n. A verse (in poetry). | |
30. n. A sentence of dialogue, especially in a play, movie or the like. | |
He was perfecting his pickup lines for use at the bar. | |
"It is what it is" was one his more annoying lines. | |
31. n. A lie or exaggeration, especially one told to gain another's approval or prevent losing it. | |
Don't feed me a line! | |
32. n. Course of conduct, thought, occupation, or policy; method of argument; department of industry, trade, or intellectual activity. | |
33. n. The official, stated position (or set of positions) of an individual or group, particularly a political or religious faction. | |
Remember, your answers must match the party line. | |
34. n. A set of products or services sold by a business, or by extension, the business itself. | |
line of business, product line | |
How many buses does the line have? | |
The airline is in danger of bankruptcy. | |
35. n. (stock exchange) A number of shares taken by a jobber. | |
36. n. A measure of length: | |
37. n. (historical) A tsarist-era Russian unit of measure, approximately equal to one tenth of an English inch, used especially when measuring the calibre of | |
38. n. One twelfth of an inch. | |
39. n. One fortieth of an inch. | |
40. n. (historical) A maxwell, a unit of magnetic flux. | |
41. n. (baseball, slang) The batter’s box. | |
42. n. (fencing, ‘line of engagement’) The position in which the fencers hold their swords. | |
43. n. (engineering) Proper relative position or adjustment (of parts, not as to design or proportion, but with reference to smooth working). | |
the engine is in line / out of line | |
44. n. A small portion or serving (of a powdery illegal drug). | |
45. n. (obsolete) Instruction; doctrine. | |
46. n. (genetics) Population of cells derived from a single cell and containing the same genetic makeup. | |
47. n. (perfusion line) a set composed of a spike, a drip chamber, a clamp, a Y-injection site, a three-way stopcock and a catheter. | |
48. n. (ice hockey) A group of forwards that play together. | |
49. n. (medicine, colloquial) A vascular catheter. | |
patient had a line inserted | |
line sepsis | |
50. v. To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align. | |
to line troops | |
51. v. To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify. | |
to line works with soldiers | |
52. v. To form a line along. | |
53. v. To mark with a line or lines, to cover with lines. | |
to line a copy book | |
54. v. (transitive, obsolete) To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray. | |
55. v. To read or repeat line by line. | |
to line out a hymn | |
56. v. (intransitive, ‘line up’) To form or enter into a line. | |
57. v. (intransitive, baseball) To hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground. | |
Jones lined to left in his last at-bat. | |
58. v. To track (wild bees) to their nest by following their line of flight. | |
59. n. (obsolete) Flax; linen, particularly the longer fiber of flax. | |
60. v. To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen. | |
The bird lines its nest with soft grass. | |
to line a cloak with silk or fur | |
to line a box with paper or tin | |
paintings lined the walls of the cavernous dining room | |
61. v. To reinforce (the back of a book) with glue and glued scrap material such as fabric or paper. | |
62. v. To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money. | |
to line the shelves | |
63. v. (transitive, now rare, of a dog) to copulate with, to impregnate. | |
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. | |
junction |
1. n. The act of joining, or the state of being joined. | |
2. n. A place where two things meet, especially where two roads meet. | |
3. n. The boundary between two physically different materials, especially between conductors, semiconductors, or metals. | |
4. n. (nautical) The place where a distributary departs from the main stream. | |
5. n. (rail transport) A place where two or more railways or railroads meet. | |
6. n. (radio, television) A point in time between two unrelated consecutive broadcasts. | |
7. n. (computing, Microsoft Windows) A kind of symbolic link to a directory. | |
8. v. (of roads or tracks) to form a junction | |
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. | |
joint |
1. adj. Done by two or more people or organisations working together. | |
The play was a joint production between the two companies. | |
2. n. The point where two components of a structure join, but are still able to rotate. | |
This rod is free to swing at the joint with the platform. | |
3. n. The point where two components of a structure join rigidly. | |
The water is leaking out of the joint between the two pipes. | |
4. n. (anatomy) Any part of the body where two bones join, in most cases allowing that part of the body to be bent or straightened. | |
5. n. The means of securing together the meeting surfaces of components of a structure. | |
The dovetail joint, while more difficult to make, is also quite strong. | |
6. n. A cut of meat. | |
Set the joint in a roasting tin and roast for the calculated cooking time. | |
7. n. The part or space included between two joints, knots, nodes, or articulations. | |
a joint of cane or of a grass stem; a joint of the leg | |
8. n. (geology) A fracture in which the strata are not offset; a geologic joint. | |
9. n. (chiefly US slang) A place of business, particularly in the food service or hospitality industries. | |
It was the kind of joint you wouldn't want your boss to see you in. | |
10. n. (slang) prison | |
I'm just trying to stay out of the joint. | |
11. n. (slang) A marijuana cigarette. | |
After locking the door and closing the shades, they lit the joint. | |
12. v. To unite by a joint or joints; to fit together; to prepare so as to fit together | |
to joint boards, a jointing plane | |
13. v. To join; to connect; to unite; to combine. | |
14. v. To provide with a joint or joints; to articulate. | |
15. v. To separate the joints; of; to divide at the joint or joints; to disjoint; to cut up into joints, as meat. | |
16. v. (intransitive) To fit as if by joints; to coalesce as joints do. | |
the stones joint, neatly. | |