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. | |
secular |
1. adj. Not specifically religious; lay or civil, as opposed to clerical. | |
2. adj. Temporal; worldly, or otherwise not based on something timeless. | |
3. adj. (Christianity) Not bound by the vows of a monastic order. | |
secular clergy in Catholicism | |
4. adj. Happening once in an age or century. | |
The secular games of ancient Rome were held to mark the end of a saeculum and the beginning of the next. | |
5. adj. Continuing over a long period of time, long-term. | |
The long-term growth in population and income accounts for most secular trends in economic phenomena. | |
on a secular basis | |
6. adj. (literary) Centuries-old, ancient. | |
7. adj. (astrophysics, geology) Relating to long-term non-periodic irregularities, especially in planetary motion or magnetic field. | |
8. adj. (atomic physics) Unperturbed over time. | |
9. n. A secular ecclesiastic, or one not bound by monastic rules. | |
10. n. A church official whose functions are confined to the vocal department of the choir. | |
11. n. A layman, as distinguished from a clergyman. | |
ecclesiastic |
1. adj. Of or pertaining to the church; ecclesiastical. | |
2. n. A cleric. | |
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. | |
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. | |
3. num. (set theory) The cardinality of the smallest nonempty set. | |
4. num. (mathematics) The ordinality of an element which has no predecessor, usually called first or number one. | |
5. pron. (impersonal pronoun, indefinite) One thing (among a group of others); one member of a group. | |
The big one looks good. I want the green one. A good driver is one who drives carefully. | |
6. pron. (impersonal pronoun, sometimes with "the") The first mentioned of two things or people, as opposed to the other. | |
She offered him an apple and an orange; he took one and left the other. | |
7. pron. (indefinite personal pronoun) Any person (applying to people in general). | |
One’s guilt may trouble one, but it is best not to let oneself be troubled by things which cannot be changed. One shouldn’t be too quick to judge. | |
8. pron. (pronoun) Any person, entity or thing. | |
"driver", noun: one who drives. | |
9. n. The digit or figure 1. | |
10. n. (mathematics) The neutral element with respect to multiplication in a ring. | |
11. n. (US) A one-dollar bill. | |
12. n. (cricket) One run scored by hitting the ball and running between the wickets; a single. | |
13. n. A joke or amusing anecdote. | |
14. n. (colloquial) A particularly special or compatible person or thing. | |
15. n. (Internet slang) Used instead of ! to amplify an exclamation, parodying unskilled typists who forget to press the shift key while typing exclamation points, thus typing "1". | |
A: SUM1 Hl3p ME im alwyz L0ziN!!?! | |
Someone help me; I'm always losing! | |
B: y d0nt u just g0 away l0zer!!1!!one!!one!!eleven!!1! | |
Why don't you just go away loser!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | |
16. adj. Of a period of time, being particular. | |
One day the prince set forth to kill the dragon that had brought terror to his father’s kingdom for centuries. | |
17. adj. Being a single, unspecified thing; a; any. | |
My aunt used to say, "One day is just like the other.". | |
18. adj. Sole, only. | |
He is the one man who can help you. | |
19. adj. Whole, entire. | |
Body and soul are not separate; they are one. | |
20. adj. In agreement. | |
We are one on the importance of learning. | |
21. adj. The same. | |
The two types look very different, but are one species. | |
22. adj. Being a preeminent example. | |
He is one hell of a guy. | |
23. adj. Being an unknown person with the specified name; see also "a certain". | |
The town records from 1843 showed the overnight incarceration of one “A. Lincoln”. | |
24. v. (obsolete, transitive) To cause to become one; to gather into a single whole; to unite. | |
not |
1. adv. Negates the meaning of the modified verb. | |
Did you take out the trash? No, I did not. | |
Not knowing any better, I went ahead. | |
2. adv. To no degree. | |
That is not red; it's orange. | |
3. conj. And not. | |
I wanted a plate of shrimp, not a bucket of chicken. | |
He painted the car blue and black, not solid purple. | |
4. interj. (slang) Used to indicate that the previous phrase was meant sarcastically or ironically. | |
I really like hanging out with my little brother watching Barney... not! | |
Sure, you're perfect the way you are... not! | |
5. n. Unary logical function NOT, true if input is false, or a gate implementing that negation function. | |
You need a not there to conform with the negative logic of the memory chip. | |
6. contraction. (obsolete) Contraction of ne wot, wot not; know not; knows not. | |
bound |
1. v. simple past tense and past participle of bind | |
I bound the splint to my leg. | |
I had bound the splint with duct tape. | |
2. adj. (with infinitive) Obliged (to). | |
You are not legally bound to reply. | |
3. adj. (with infinitive) Very likely (to), certain to | |
They were bound to come into conflict eventually. | |
4. adj. (linguistics, of a morpheme) That cannot stand alone as a free word. | |
5. adj. (mathematics, logic, of a variable) Constrained by a quantifier. | |
6. adj. (dated) Constipated; costive. | |
7. adj. Confined or restricted to a certain place; e.g. railbound. | |
8. adj. Unable to move in certain conditions; e.g. snowbound. | |
9. n. (often, used in plural) A boundary, the border which one must cross in order to enter or leave a territory. | |
I reached the northern bound of my property, took a deep breath and walked on. | |
Somewhere within these bounds you may find a buried treasure. | |
10. n. (mathematics) A value which is known to be greater or smaller than a given set of values. | |
11. v. To surround a territory or other geographical entity. | |
France, Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra bound Spain. | |
Kansas is bounded by Nebraska on the north, Missouri on the east, Oklahoma on the south and Colorado on the west. | |
12. v. (mathematics) To be the boundary of. | |
13. n. A sizeable jump, great leap. | |
The deer crossed the stream in a single bound. | |
14. n. A spring from one foot to the other in dancing. | |
15. n. (dated) A bounce; a rebound. | |
the bound of a ball | |
16. v. (intransitive) To leap, move by jumping. | |
The rabbit bounded down the lane. | |
17. v. To cause to leap. | |
to bound a horse | |
18. v. (intransitive, dated) To rebound; to bounce. | |
a rubber ball bounds on the floor | |
19. v. (transitive, dated) To cause to rebound; to throw so that it will rebound; to bounce. | |
to bound a ball on the floor | |
20. adj. (obsolete) Ready, prepared. | |
21. adj. Ready to start or go (to); moving in the direction (of). | |
Which way are you bound? | |
Is that message bound for me? | |
bind |
1. v. (intransitive) To tie; to confine by any ligature. | |
2. v. (intransitive) To cohere or stick together in a mass. | |
Just to make the cheese more binding | |
3. v. (intransitive) To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction. | |
I wish I knew why the sewing machine binds up after I use it for a while. | |
4. v. (intransitive) To exert a binding or restraining influence. | |
These are the ties that bind. | |
5. v. To tie or fasten tightly together, with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc. | |
to bind grain in bundles to bind a prisoner | |
6. v. To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind. | |
Gravity binds the planets to the sun. | |
Frost binds the earth. | |
7. v. To couple. | |
8. v. (figuratively) To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other social tie. | |
to bind the conscience to bind by kindness bound by affection commerce binds nations to each other | |
9. v. (law) To put (a person) under definite legal obligations, especially, under the obligation of a bond or covenant. | |
10. v. (law) To place under legal obligation to serve. | |
to bind an apprentice bound out to service | |
11. v. To protect or strengthen by applying a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment. | |
12. v. (transitive, archaic) To make fast (a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something. | |
to bind a belt about one to bind a compress upon a wound | |
13. v. To cover, as with a bandage. | |
to bind up a wound | |
14. v. (transitive, archaic) To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action. | |
Certain drugs bind the bowels. | |
15. v. To put together in a cover, as of books. | |
The three novels were bound together. | |
16. v. (transitive, chemistry) To make two or more elements stick together. | |
17. v. (transitive, computing) To associate an identifier with a value; to associate a variable name, method name, etc. with the content of a storage location. | |
18. v. (dialect) To complain; to whine about something. | |
19. n. That which binds or ties. | |
20. n. A troublesome situation; a problem; a predicament or quandary. | |
21. n. Any twining or climbing plant or stem, especially a hop vine; a bine. | |
22. n. (music) A ligature or tie for grouping notes. | |
23. n. (chess) A strong grip or stranglehold on a position that is difficult for the opponent to break. | |
the Maróczy Bind | |
24. n. The indurated clay of coal mines. | |
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 | |
monastic |
1. adj. Of or relating to monasteries or monks. | |
2. n. A person with monastic ways; a monk. | |
rules |
1. n. plural of rule | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of rule | |
rule |
1. n. A regulation, law, guideline. | |
All participants must adhere to the rules. | |
2. n. A ruler; device for measuring, a straightedge, a measure. | |
3. n. A straight line (continuous mark, as made by a pen or the like), especially one lying across a paper as a guide for writing. | |
4. n. A regulating principle. | |
5. n. The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control. | |
6. n. A normal condition or state of affairs. | |
My rule is to rise at six o'clock. | |
As a rule, our senior editors are serious-minded. | |
7. n. (obsolete) Conduct; behaviour. | |
8. n. (legal) An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action or a suit. | |
9. n. (math) A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result. | |
a rule for extracting the cube root | |
10. n. (printing, dated) A thin plate of brass or other metal, of the same height as the type, and used for printing lines, as between columns on the same page, or in tabular work. | |
11. v. To regulate, be in charge of, make decisions for, reign over. | |
12. v. (slang) To excel. | |
This game rules! | |
13. v. To mark (paper or the like) with rules (lines). | |
14. v. (intransitive) To decide judicially. | |
15. v. To establish or settle by, or as by, a rule; to fix by universal or general consent, or by common practice. | |