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. | |
variety |
1. n. The quality of being varied; diversity. | |
Variety is the spice of life. | |
2. n. A specific variation of something. | |
3. n. A number of different things. | |
4. n. A state of constant change. | |
5. n. (taxonomy) A rank in a taxonomic classification, below species and subspecies. | |
6. n. (cybernetics) The total number of distinct states of a system. | |
7. n. (cybernetics) Logarithm of the base 2 of the total number of distinct states of a system. | |
8. n. (linguistics) A term used for a specific form of a language, neutral to whether that form is a dialect, accent, register, etc. and to its prestige level. | |
9. n. (algebra, esp. universal algebra) The class of all algebraic structures of a given signature satisfying a given set of identities. | |
10. n. The kind of theatrical entertainment given in variety shows. | |
11. n. The production of, or performance in, variety shows. | |
adult |
1. n. A fully grown human or animal. | |
2. n. A person who has reached the legal age of majority. | |
3. adj. Fully grown. | |
an adult human, animal, or plant | |
4. adj. Intended for or restricted to adults rather than children. | |
adult clothes | |
5. adj. Containing material of an explicit sexual nature; of, or pertaining to, pornography. | |
an adult movie | |
This program contains adult content. Parental discretion is advised. | |
6. adj. Vulgar or profane. | |
7. v. (nonstandard, rare) To (cause to) be or become an adult. | |
entertainment |
1. n. An activity designed to give pleasure, enjoyment, diversion, amusement, or relaxation to an audience, no matter whether the audience participates passively as in watching opera or a movie, or actively | |
2. n. A show put on for the enjoyment or amusement of others. | |
3. n. (obsolete) Maintenance or support. | |
4. n. (obsolete) Admission into service; service. | |
5. n. (obsolete) Payment of soldiers or servants; wages. | |
6. n. (obsolete) Reception; (provision of) food to guests or travellers. | |
show |
1. v. To display, to have somebody see (something). | |
The car's dull finish showed years of neglect. | |
All he had to show for four years of attendance at college was a framed piece of paper. | |
2. v. To bestow; to confer. | |
to show mercy; to show favour; (dialectal) show me the salt please | |
3. v. To indicate (a fact) to be true; to demonstrate. | |
4. v. To guide or escort. | |
Could you please show him on his way. He has overstayed his welcome. | |
They showed us in. | |
5. v. (intransitive) To be visible; to be seen; to appear. | |
Your bald patch is starting to show. | |
At length, his gloom showed. | |
6. v. (intransitive, informal) To put in an appearance; show up. | |
We waited for an hour, but they never showed. | |
7. v. (intransitive, informal) To have an enlarged belly and thus be recognizable as pregnant. | |
8. v. (intransitive, racing) To finish third, especially of horses or dogs. | |
In the third race: Aces Up won, paying eight dollars; Blarney Stone placed, paying three dollars; and Cinnamon showed, paying five dollars. | |
9. v. (obsolete) To have a certain appearance, such as well or ill, fit or unfit; to become or suit; to appear. | |
10. n. A play, dance, or other entertainment. | |
11. n. An exhibition of items. | |
art show; dog show | |
12. n. A demonstration. | |
show of force | |
13. n. A broadcast program/programme. | |
radio show; television show | |
14. n. A movie. | |
Let's catch a show. | |
15. n. A project or presentation. | |
Let's get on with the show. Let's get this show on the road. They went on an international road show to sell the shares to investors. It was Apple's usual do | |
16. n. Mere display or pomp with no substance. (Usually seen in the phrases "all show" and "for show".) | |
The dog sounds ferocious but it's all show. | |
17. n. Outward appearance; wileful or deceptive appearance. | |
18. n. (baseball, with "the") The major leagues. | |
He played AA ball for years, but never made it to the show. | |
19. n. (mining, obsolete) A pale blue flame at the top of a candle flame, indicating the presence of firedamp. | |
20. n. (archaic) Pretence. | |
21. n. (archaic) Sign, token, or indication. | |
22. n. (obsolete) Semblance; likeness; appearance. | |
23. n. (obsolete) Plausibility. | |
24. n. (medicine) A discharge, from the vagina, of mucus streaked with blood, occurring a short time before labor. | |
usually |
1. adv. Most of the time; less than always, but more than occasionally. | |
Except for one or two days a year, he usually walks to work. | |
2. adv. Under normal conditions. | |
including |
1. prep. Such as, among which; introducing one or more parts of the group or topic just mentioned. | |
All you have to do is to fill in the details, including your name and address and the amount you wish to give. | |
2. prep. (rare, nonstandard) Introducing a finite clause. | |
3. v. present participle of include | |
include |
1. v. To bring into a group, class, set, or total as a (new) part or member. | |
I will purchase the vacation package if you will include car rental. | |
2. v. To contain, as parts of a whole; to comprehend. | |
The vacation package includes car rental. | |
Does this volume of Shakespeare include his sonnets? | |
I was included in the invitation to the family gathering. | |
up to and including page twenty-five | |
3. v. (obsolete) To enclose, confine. | |
4. v. (obsolete) To conclude; to terminate. | |
5. v. (programming) To use a directive that allows the use of source code from another file. | |
You have to include the strings library to use this function. | |
6. n. (programming) A piece of source code or other content that is dynamically retrieved for inclusion in another item. | |
titillation |
1. n. A pleasurable or sexually exciting sensation. | |
2. n. The process or outcome of titillating. | |
such |
1. det. (demonstrative) Like this, that, these, those; used to make a comparison with something implied by context. | |
I’ve never seen such clouds in the sky before. Such is life. | |
2. det. (particularly used in formal documents) Any. | |
the above address or at such other address as may notify | |
3. det. Used as an intensifier; roughly equivalent to very much of. | |
The party was such a bore. | |
4. det. (obsolete) A certain; representing the object as already particularized in terms which are not mentioned. | |
5. pron. A person, a thing, people or things like the one or ones already mentioned. | |
6. n. (philosophy) Something being indicated that is similar to something else. | |
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 | |
striptease |
1. n. The act of slowly taking off one's clothes to sexually arouse the viewer, often accompanied by music and in exchange for money. | |
2. v. (intransitive) To perform a striptease. | |
most |
1. det. superlative degree of much. | |
The teams competed to see who could collect the most money. | |
2. det. superlative degree of many: the comparatively largest number of (ngd, construed with the definite article) | |
The team with the most points wins. | |
3. det. superlative degree of many: the majority of; more than half of (ngd, construed without the definite article) | |
Most bakers and dairy farmers have to get up early. | |
Winning was not important for most participants. | |
4. adv. Forms the superlative of many adjectives. | |
This is the most important example. | |
Correctness is most important. | |
5. adv. To a great extent or degree; highly; very. | |
This is a most unusual specimen. | |
6. adv. (informal, chiefly US) Almost. | |
7. adv. superlative form of many: most many | |
8. adv. superlative form of much: most much | |
9. pron. The greater part of a group, especially a group of people. | |
Most want the best for their children. | |
The peach was juicier and more flavourful than most. | |
10. n. The greatest amount. | |
The most I can offer for the house is $150,000. | |
11. n. The greater part. | |
Most of the penguins were friendly and curious. | |
Most of the rice was spoiled. | |
12. n. A record-setting amount. | |
common |
1. adj. Mutual; shared by more than one. | |
The two competitors have the common aim of winning the championship. | |
Winning the championship is an aim common to the two competitors. | |
2. adj. Occurring or happening regularly or frequently; usual. | |
It is common to find sharks off this coast. | |
3. adj. Found in large numbers or in a large quantity. | |
Sharks are common in these waters. | |
4. adj. Simple, ordinary or vulgar. | |
5. adj. (grammar) In some languages, particularly Germanic languages, of the gender originating from the coalescence of the masculine and feminine categories of nouns. | |
6. adj. (grammar) Of or pertaining to common nouns as opposed to proper nouns. | |
7. adj. Vernacular, referring to the name of a kind of plant or animal, i.e., common name vs. scientific name. | |
8. adj. (obsolete) Profane; polluted. | |
9. adj. (obsolete) Given to lewd habits; prostitute. | |
10. n. Mutual good, shared by more than one. | |
11. n. A tract of land in common ownership; common land. | |
12. n. The people; the community. | |
13. n. (legal) The right of taking a profit in the land of another, in common either with the owner or with other persons; so called from the community of interest which arises between the claimant of the ri | |
14. v. (obsolete) To communicate (something). | |
15. v. (obsolete) To converse, talk. | |
16. v. (obsolete) To have sex. | |
17. v. (obsolete) To participate. | |
18. v. (obsolete) To have a joint right with others in common ground. | |
19. v. (obsolete) To board together; to eat at a table in common. | |
from |
1. prep. With the source or provenance of or at. | |
This wine comes from France. | |
I got a letter from my brother. | |
2. prep. With the origin, starting point or initial reference of or at. | |
He had books piled from floor to ceiling. | |
He left yesterday from Chicago. | |
Face away from the wall! | |
3. prep. (mathematics, now uncommon) Denoting a subtraction operation. | |
20 from 31 leaves 11. | |
4. prep. With the separation, exclusion or differentiation of. | |
An umbrella protects from the sun. | |
He knows right from wrong. | |
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. | |
1880s |
1. n. The decade from 1880 to 1889. | |
to |
1. part. A particle used for marking the following verb as an infinitive. | |
I want to leave. | |
He asked me what to do. | |
I don’t know how to say it. | |
I have places to go and people to see. | |
2. part. As above, with the verb implied. | |
"Did you visit the museum?" "I wanted to, but it was closed.". | |
If he hasn't read it yet, he ought to. | |
3. part. A particle used to create phrasal verbs. | |
I have to do laundry today. | |
4. prep. Indicating destination: In the direction of, and arriving at. | |
We are walking to the shop. | |
5. prep. Used to indicate purpose. | |
He devoted himself to education. | |
They drank to his health. | |
6. prep. Used to indicate result of action. | |
His face was beaten to a pulp. | |
7. prep. Used after an adjective to indicate its application. | |
similar to ..., relevant to ..., pertinent to ..., I was nice to him, he was cruel to her, I am used to walking. | |
8. prep. (obsolete,) As a. | |
With God to friend (with God as a friend); with The Devil to fiend (with the Devil as a foe); lambs slaughtered to lake (lambs slaughtered as a sacrifice); t | |
9. prep. (arithmetic) Used to indicate a ratio or comparison. | |
one to one = 1:1 | |
ten to one = 10:1. | |
I have ten dollars to your four. | |
10. prep. (arithmetic) Used to indicate that the preceding term is to be raised to the power of the following value; indicates exponentiation. | |
Three squared or three to the second power is nine. | |
Three to the power of two is nine. | |
Three to the second is nine. | |
11. prep. Used to indicate the indirect object. | |
I gave the book to him. | |
12. prep. (time) Preceding. | |
ten to ten = 9:50; We're going to leave at ten to (the hour). | |
13. prep. Used to describe what something consists of or contains. | |
Anyone could do this job; there's nothing to it. | |
There's a lot of sense to what he says. | |
14. prep. (Canada, UK, Newfoundland, West Midlands) At. | |
Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y. | |
15. adv. Toward a closed, touching or engaging position. | |
Please push the door to. | |
16. adv. (nautical) Into the wind. | |
17. adv. misspelling of too | |
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. | |
1930s |
1. n. The decade from 1930 to 1939. | |