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. | |
demiurge |
1. n. (Platonic philosophy) The (usually benevolent) being that created the universe out of primal matter. | |
A demiurge or craftsman god takes pre-existing matter and fashions it in light of the eternal Forms. | |
2. n. (Gnosticism) A (usually jealous or outright malevolent) being who is inferior to the supreme being, and sometimes seen as the creator of evil. | |
3. n. (figuratively) Something (such as an idea, individual or institution) conceived as an autonomous creative force or decisive power. | |
4. n. (historical, Ancient Greece) The title of a magistrate in a number of states of Ancient Greece, and in the city states (poleis) of the Achaean League. | |
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. | |
Craftsman |
1. adj. Of an architectural style prominent in the United States in the early 20th century. | |
2. n. A building built in the Craftsman architectural style | |
3. n. A male artisan. | |
God |
1. n. A being such as a monotheistic God: a single divine creator and ruler of the universe. | |
2. interj. (short for, oh God): non-gloss, expressing annoyance or frustration. | |
God, is this because of the "I don't love you anymore" T-shirt I bought? It was a joke fer chrissakes. | |
3. n. A deity or supreme being; a supernatural, typically immortal, being with superior powers. | |
The most frequently used name for the Islamic god is Allah. | |
4. n. alternative case form of God. | |
5. n. An idol. | |
6. n. A representation of a deity, especially a statue or statuette. | |
7. n. Something or someone particularly revered, worshipped, idealized, admired and/or followed. | |
8. n. (metaphor) A person in a high position of authority, importance or influence. | |
9. n. (metaphor) A powerful ruler or tyrant. | |
10. n. (colloquial) An exceedingly handsome man. | |
Lounging on the beach were several Greek gods. | |
11. n. (Internet) The person who owns and runs a multi-user dungeon. | |
12. v. To idolize. | |
13. v. To deify. | |
takes |
1. v. third-person singular present indicative of take | |
2. n. plural of take | |
take |
1. v. To get into one's hands, possession or control, with or without force. | |
They took Charlton's gun from his cold, dead hands. | |
I'll take that plate off the table. | |
2. v. To seize or capture. | |
take the guards prisoner | |
take prisoners | |
After a bloody battle, they were able to take the city. | |
3. v. To catch or get possession of (fish or game). | |
took ten catfish in one afternoon | |
4. v. (transitive, cricket) To catch the ball; especially as a wicket-keeper and after the batsman has missed or edged it. | |
5. v. To appropriate or transfer into one's own possession, sometimes by physically carrying off. | |
Billy took her pencil. | |
6. v. To exact. | |
take a toll | |
take revenge | |
7. v. To capture or win (a piece or trick) in a game. | |
took the next two tricks | |
took Smith's rook | |
8. v. To receive or accept (something) (especially something given or bestowed, awarded, etc). | |
took third place | |
took bribes | |
The camera takes 35mm film. | |
9. v. To receive or accept (something) as payment or compensation. | |
The store doesn't take checks. | |
She wouldn't take any money for her help. | |
Do you take credit? | |
The vending machine only takes bills, it doesn't take coins. | |
10. v. To accept and follow (advice, etc). | |
take my advice | |
11. v. To receive into some relationship. | |
take a wife | |
The school only takes new students in the fall. | |
The therapist wouldn't take him as a client. | |
12. v. (transitive, intransitive, legal) To receive or acquire (property) by law (e.g. as an heir). | |
13. v. To remove. | |
take two eggs from the carton | |
14. v. To remove or end by death; to kill. | |
The earthquake took many lives. | |
The plague took rich and poor alike. | |
Cancer took her life. | |
He took his life last night. | |
15. v. To subtract. | |
take one from three and you are left with two | |
16. v. To have sex with. | |
17. v. To defeat (someone or something) in a fight. | |
Don't try to take that guy. He's bigger than you. | |
The woman guarding us looks like a professional, but I can take her! | |
18. v. To grasp or grip. | |
He took her hand in his. | |
19. v. To select or choose; to pick. | |
Take whichever bag you like. | |
She took the best men with her and left the rest to garrison the city. | |
I'll take the blue plates. | |
I'll take two sugars in my coffee, please. | |
20. v. To adopt (select) as one's own. | |
She took his side in every argument. | |
take a stand on the important issues | |
21. v. To carry or lead (something or someone). | |
She took her sword with her everywhere she went. | |
I'll take the plate with me. | |
22. v. (transitive, especially of a vehicle) To transport or carry; to convey to another place. | |
The next bus will take you to Metz. | |
I took him for a ride | |
I took him down to London. | |
23. v. (transitive, of a path, road, etc.) To lead (to a place); to serve as a means of reaching. | |
These stairs take you down to the basement. | |
Stone Street took us right past the store. | |
24. v. To pass (or attempt to pass) through or around. | |
She took the steps two or three at a time/ | |
He took the curve / corner too fast. | |
The pony took every hedge and fence in its path. | |
25. v. To escort or conduct (a person). | |
He took her to lunch at the new restaurant, took her to the movies, and then took her home. | |
26. v. (reflexive) To go. | |
27. v. To use as a means of transportation. | |
take the ferry | |
I took a plane. | |
He took the bus to London, and then took a train to Manchester. | |
He's 96 but he still takes the stairs. | |
28. v. (obsolete) To visit; to include in a course of travel. | |
29. v. To obtain for use by payment or lease. | |
She took a condo at the beach for the summer. | |
He took a full-page ad in the Times. | |
30. v. To obtain or receive regularly by (paid) subscription. | |
They took two magazines. | |
I used to take The Sunday Times. | |
31. v. To consume. | |
32. v. To receive (medicine) into one's body, e.g. by inhalation or swallowing; to ingest. | |
take two of these and call me in the morning | |
take the blue pill | |
I take aspirin every day to thin my blood. | |
33. v. To partake of (food or drink); to consume. | |
The general took dinner at seven o'clock. | |
34. v. To experience, undergo, or endure. | |
35. v. To undergo; to put oneself into, to be subjected to. | |
take sun-baths | |
take a shower | |
She made the decision to take chemotherapy. | |
36. v. To experience or feel. | |
She takes pride in her work. | |
pre |
1. prep. Before (something significant). | |
2. n. (slang) Precum, Cowper's fluid, pre-ejaculate. | |
3. v. (slang) To precum, to pre-ejaculate. | |
existing |
1. v. present participle of exist | |
2. adj. That exists, or has existence, especially that exists now. | |
exist |
1. v. to be; have existence; have being or reality | |
matter |
1. n. Substance, material. | |
2. n. (physics) The basic structural component of the universe. Matter usually has mass and volume. | |
3. n. (physics) Matter made up of normal particles, not antiparticles. (Non-antimatter matter). | |
4. n. A kind of substance. | |
vegetable matter | |
5. n. Written material (especially in books or magazines). | |
printed matter; He always took some reading matter with him on the plane. | |
6. n. (philosophy) Aristotelian: undeveloped potentiality subject to change and development; formlessness. Matter receives form, and becomes substa | |
7. n. A condition, subject or affair, especially one of concern. | |
What's the matter?; state matters | |
8. n. An approximate amount or extent. | |
I stayed for a matter of months. | |
9. n. (obsolete) The essence; the pith; the embodiment. | |
10. n. (obsolete) Inducing cause or reason, especially of anything disagreeable or distressing. | |
11. n. (dated) Pus. | |
12. v. (intransitive) To be important. | |
The only thing that matters to Jim is being rich. | |
Sorry for pouring ketchup on your clean white shirt! - Oh, don't worry, it does not matter. | |
13. v. (transitive, obsolete outside dialects) To care about, to mind; to find important. | |
14. v. To form pus or matter, as an abscess; to maturate. | |
and |
1. conj. As a coordinating conjunction; expressing two elements to be taken together or in addition to each other. | |
2. conj. Used simply to connect two noun phrases, adjectives or adverbs. | |
3. conj. Simply connecting two clauses or sentences. | |
4. conj. Introducing a clause or sentence which follows on in time or consequence from the first. | |
5. conj. (obsolete) Yet; but. | |
6. conj. Used to connect certain numbers: connecting units when they precede tens (not dated); connecting tens and units to hundreds, thousands etc. (now often | |
7. conj. (now colloquial, or literary) Used to connect more than two elements together in a chain, sometimes to stress the number of elements. | |
8. conj. Connecting two identical elements, with implications of continued or infinite repetition. | |
9. conj. Introducing a parenthetical or explanatory clause. | |
10. conj. Introducing the continuation of narration from a previous understood point; also used alone as a question: ‘and so what?’. | |
11. conj. (now regional or somewhat colloquial) Used to connect two verbs where the second is dependent on the first: ‘to’. Used especially after come, | |
12. conj. Introducing a qualitative difference between things having the same name; "as well as other". | |
13. conj. Used to combine numbers in addition; plus (with singular or plural verb). | |
14. conj. Expressing a condition.: | |
15. conj. (now US dialect) If; provided that. | |
16. conj. (obsolete) As if, as though. | |
17. n. (enm, music, often informal) In rhythm, the second half of a divided beat. | |
18. n. (UK dialectal) Breath. | |
19. n. (UK dialectal) Sea smoke; steam fog. | |
20. v. (UK dialectal, intransitive) To breathe; whisper; devise; imagine. | |
fashions |
1. n. plural of fashion | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of fashion | |
fashion |
1. n. A current (constantly changing) trend, favored for frivolous rather than practical, logical, or intellectual reasons. | |
2. n. Popular trends. | |
Check out the latest in fashion. | |
3. n. A style or manner in which something is done. | |
4. n. The make or form of anything; the style, shape, appearance, or mode of structure; pattern, model; workmanship; execution. | |
the fashion of the ark, of a coat, of a house, of an altar, etc. | |
5. n. (dated) Polite, fashionable, or genteel life; social position; good breeding. | |
men of fashion | |
6. v. To make, build or construct, especially in a crude or improvised way. | |
7. v. (dated) To make in a standard manner; to work. | |
8. v. (dated) To fit, adapt, or accommodate to. | |
9. v. (obsolete) To forge or counterfeit. | |
it |
1. pron. The third-person singular personal pronoun that is normally used to refer to an inanimate object or abstract entity, also often used to refer to animals. | |
Put it over there. | |
Take each day as it comes. | |
I heard the sound of the school bus - it was early today. | |
2. pron. A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a child, especially of unknown gender. | |
She took the baby and held it in her arms. | |
3. pron. Used to refer to someone being identified, often on the phone, but not limited to this situation. | |
It's me. John. | |
Is it her? | |
4. pron. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent as the subject of an impersonal verb or statement. (known as the dummy pronoun or weather it) | |
It is nearly 10 o’clock. | |
It’s 10:45 read ten-forty-five. | |
It’s very cold today. | |
It’s lonely without you. | |
5. pron. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent in various short idioms. | |
stick it out | |
live it up | |
rough it | |
6. pron. The impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder for a delayed subject, or less commonly, object; known as the dummy pronoun or, more formally in linguistics, a syntactic expletive. The delayed subject i | |
It is easy to see how she would think that. (with the infinitive clause headed by to see) | |
I find it odd that you would say that. (with the noun clause introduced by that) | |
It is hard seeing you so sick. (with the gerund seeing) | |
He saw to it that everyone would vote for him. (with the noun clause introduced by that) | |
It is not clear if the report was true. (with the noun clause introduced by if) | |
7. pron. All or the end; something after which there is no more. | |
Are there more students in this class, or is this it? | |
That's it—I'm not going to any more candy stores with you. | |
8. pron. (chiefly pejorative, offensive) A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to an animate referent who is transgender or is neither female nor male. | |
9. pron. (obsolete) (Followed by an omitted and understood relative pronoun): That which; what. | |
10. det. (obsolete) its | |
11. n. One who is neither a he nor a she; a creature; a dehumanized being. | |
12. n. The person who chases and tries to catch the other players in the playground game of tag. | |
In the next game, Adam and Tom will be it… | |
13. n. (British) The game of tag. | |
Let's play it at breaktime. | |
14. n. Sex appeal, especially that which goes beyond beauty. | |
15. n. (euphemism) Sexual activity. | |
caught them doing it | |
16. adj. (colloquial) Most fashionable. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
eternal |
1. adj. Lasting forever; unending. | |
2. adj. (philosophy) existing outside time; as opposed to sempiternal, existing within time but everlastingly | |
3. adj. (dated) Exceedingly great or bad; used as an intensifier. | |
some eternal villain | |
forms |
1. n. plural of form | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of form | |
form |
1. n. To do with shape.: | |
2. n. The shape or visible structure of a thing or person. | |
3. n. A thing that gives shape to other things as in a mold. | |
4. n. (dated) A long bench with no back. | |
5. n. (fine arts) The boundary line of a material object. In painting, more generally, the human body. | |
6. n. (crystallography) The combination of planes included under a general crystallographic symbol. It is not necessarily a closed solid. | |
7. n. (social) To do with structure or procedure. | |
8. n. An order of doing things, as in religious ritual. | |
9. n. Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula. | |
10. n. Constitution; mode of construction, organization, etc.; system. | |
a republican form of government | |
11. n. Show without substance; empty, outside appearance; vain, trivial, or conventional ceremony; conventionality; formality. | |
a matter of mere form | |
12. n. (archaic) A class or rank in society. | |
13. n. (UK) A criminal record; loosely, past history (in a given area). | |
14. n. (education) A class or year of school pupils (often preceded by an ordinal number to specify the year, as in sixth form). | |
15. n. A blank document or template to be filled in by the user. | |
To apply for the position, complete the application form. | |
16. n. Level of performance. | |
The team's form has been poor this year. | |
The orchestra was on top form this evening. | |
17. n. (grammar) A grouping of words which maintain grammatical context in different usages; the particular shape or structure of a word or part of speech. | |
participial forms; verb forms | |
18. n. The den or home of a hare. | |
19. n. (computing, programming) A window or dialogue box. | |
20. n. (taxonomy) An infraspecific rank. | |
21. n. (printing, dated) The type or other matter from which an impression is to be taken, arranged and secured in a chase. | |
22. n. (geometry) A quantic. | |
23. n. (sports) A specific way of performing a movement. | |
24. v. To assume (a certain shape or visible structure). | |
When you kids form a straight line I'll hand out the lollies. | |
25. v. To give (a shape or visible structure) to a thing or person. | |
Roll out the dough to form a thin sheet. | |
26. v. (intransitive) To take shape. | |
When icicles start to form on the eaves you know the roads will be icy. | |
27. v. To put together or bring into being; assemble. | |
The socialists did not have enough MPs to form a government. | |
Paul McCartney and John Lennon formed The Beatles in Liverpool in 1960. | |
28. v. (transitive, linguistics) To create (a word) by inflection or derivation. | |
By adding "-ness", you can form a noun from an adjective. | |
29. v. To constitute, to compose, to make up. | |
Teenagers form the bulk of extreme traffic offenders. | |
30. v. To mould or model by instruction or discipline. | |
Singing in a choir helps to form a child's sociality. | |
31. v. To provide (a hare) with a form. | |
32. v. (electrical, historical, transitive) To treat (plates) to prepare them for introduction into a storage battery, causing one plate to be composed more or less of spongy lead, and the other of lead pero | |