an |
1. art. Form of a used before a vowel sound | |
2. art. (now quite rare) Form of a used before 'h' in an unstressed syllable | |
3. art. (nonstandard) Form of a used before 'h' in a stressed syllable | |
4. conj. (archaic) If | |
5. conj. (archaic) So long as. | |
An it harm none, do what ye will. | |
6. conj. (archaic) As if; as though. | |
7. n. The first letter of the Georgian alphabet, ა (Mkhedruli), Ⴀ (Asomtavruli) or ⴀ (Nuskhuri). | |
8. prep. In each; to or for each; per. | |
I was only going twenty miles an hour. | |
instance |
1. n. (obsolete) Urgency of manner or words; an urgent request; insistence. | |
2. n. (obsolete) A token; a sign; a symptom or indication. | |
It sends some precious instance of itself/ After the thing it loves. Hamlet IV. v. ca. 1602 | |
3. n. (obsolete) That which is urgent; motive. | |
4. n. Occasion; order of occurrence. | |
5. n. A case offered as an exemplification or a precedent; an illustrative example. | |
6. n. One of a series of recurring occasions, cases, essentially the same. | |
7. n. (obsolete) A piece of evidence; a proof or sign (of something). | |
8. n. (computing) In object-oriented programming: a created object, one that has had memory allocated for local data storage; an instantiation of a class. | |
9. n. (massively multiplayer online games) A dungeon or other area that is duplicated for each player, or each party of players, that enters it, so that each player or party has a private copy of the area | |
10. n. (massively multiplayer online games) An individual copy of such a dungeon or other area. | |
11. v. To mention as a case or example; to refer to; to cite | |
to instance a fact | |
12. v. (intransitive) To cite an example as proof; to exemplify. | |
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. | |
bashing |
1. v. present participle of bash | |
2. n. An instance of bashing; a physical attack. | |
bash |
1. v. To strike heavily. | |
He bashed himself against the door. | |
The thugs kept bashing the cowering victim. | |
2. v. To collide. | |
Don't bash into me with that shopping trolley. | |
3. v. To criticize harshly. | |
He bashed my ideas. | |
4. v. (UK, slang) To masturbate. | |
He said that he bashes daily. | |
5. n. A large party; gala event. | |
They had a big bash to celebrate their tenth anniversary. | |
6. n. An attack that consists of placing all one's weight into a downward attack with one's fists. | |
7. v. (obsolete, transitive) To abash; to disconcert or be disconcerted or put out of countenance. | |
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. | |
physical |
1. adj. Having to do with the body. | |
Are you feeling any physical effects? | |
2. adj. Having to do with the material world. | |
It's not so much a physical place as a state of mind. | |
3. adj. Involving bodily force. | |
This team plays a very physical game, so watch out. | |
4. adj. Having to do with physics. | |
The substance has a number of interesting physical properties. | |
5. adj. (computing) Not virtual; directly corresponding to hardware operation. | |
6. adj. (obsolete) Relating to physic, or medicine; medicinal; curative; also, cathartic; purgative. | |
7. n. Physical examination. | |
How long has it been since your last physical? | |
attack |
1. n. An attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of opponent or enemy. | |
2. n. An attempt to detract from the worth or credibility of, a person, position, idea, object, or thing, by physical, verbal, emotional, or other assault. | |
They claimed the censorship of the article was an attack on free speech. | |
3. n. A time in which one attacks; the offence of a battle. | |
The army timed their attack to coincide with the local celebrations. | |
4. n. (informal, by extension) The beginning of active operations on anything. | |
Having washed the plates from dinner, I made an attack on the laundry. | |
5. n. (cricket) Collectively, the bowlers of a cricket side. | |
6. n. (volleyball) Any contact with the ball other than a serve or block which sends the ball across the plane of the net. | |
7. n. (lacrosse) The three attackmen on the field or all the attackmen of a team. | |
8. n. (medicine) The sudden onset of a disease or condition. | |
I've had an attack of the flu. | |
9. n. An active episode of a chronic or recurrent disease. | |
10. n. (music) The onset of a musical note, particularly with respect to the strength (and duration) of that onset. | |
11. n. (audio) The amount of time it takes for the volume of an audio signal to go from zero to maximum level (e.g. an audio waveform representing a snare drum hit would feature a very fast attack, whereas t | |
12. v. To apply violent force to someone or something. | |
This species of snake will only attack humans if it feels threatened. | |
13. v. To aggressively challenge a person, idea, etc., with words (particularly in newspaper headlines, because it typesets into less space than "criticize" or similar). | |
She published an article attacking the recent pay cuts. | |
14. v. To begin to affect; to act upon injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste. | |
15. v. To deal with something in a direct way; to set to work upon. | |
We’ll have dinner before we attack the biology homework. | |
I attacked the meal with a hearty appetite. | |
16. v. (transitive, cricket) To aim balls at the batsman’s wicket. | |
17. v. (intransitive, cricket) To set a field, or bowl in a manner designed to get wickets. | |
18. v. (intransitive, cricket) To bat aggressively, so as to score runs quickly. | |
19. v. (soccer) To move forward in an active attempt to score a point, as opposed to trying not to concede. | |
20. v. (cycling) To accelerate quickly in an attempt to get ahead of the other riders. | |