Lexis Rex Home



English Sentence Analyser

Use this page to analyse and learn English text. You can copy text into the box below or get a random sentence from our database. Press the Analyse button to get translations of the text and words.




characterized
     1. v. simple past tense and past participle of characterize
     characterize
          1. v. to depict someone or something a particular way (often negative)
          2. v. to determine the characteristics of
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
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.
hissing
     1. v. present participle of hiss
     2. n. The sound of a hiss.
     hiss
          1. n. A sibilant sound, such as that made by a snake or escaping steam; an unvoiced fricative.
          2. n. An expression of disapproval made using such a sound.
          3. v. (intransitive) To make a hissing sound.
                As I started to poke it, the snake hissed at me.
          4. v. (transitive, intransitive) To condemn or express contempt (for someone or something) by hissing.
                The crowd booed and hissed her off the stage.
          5. v. To utter (something) with a hissing sound.
          6. v. (intransitive) To move with a hissing sound.
                The arrow hissed through the air.
          7. v. To emit or eject (something) with a hissing sound.
sound
     1. adj. Healthy.
           He was safe and sound.
           In horse management a sound horse is one with no health problems that might affect its suitability for its intended work.
     2. adj. Complete, solid, or secure.
           Fred assured me the floorboards were sound.
     3. adj. (mathematics, logic) Having the property of soundness.
     4. adj. (UK, slang) Good; acceptable; decent.
           "How are you?" - "I'm sound.".
           That's a sound track you're playing.
           See that man over there? He's sound. You should get to know him.
     5. adj. (of sleep) Quiet and deep. Sound asleep means sleeping peacefully, often deeply.
           Her sleep was sound.
     6. adj. Heavy; laid on with force.
           a sound beating
     7. adj. Founded in law; legal; valid; not defective.
           a sound title to land
     8. adv. Soundly.
     9. interj. (UK, slang) Yes; used to show agreement or understanding, generally without much enthusiasm.
           - I found my jacket.- Sound.
     10. n. A sensation perceived by the ear caused by the vibration of air or some other medium.
           He turned when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.  Nobody made a sound.
     11. n. A vibration capable of causing such sensations.
     12. n. (music) A distinctive style and sonority of a particular musician, orchestra etc
     13. n. Noise without meaning; empty noise.
     14. n. earshot, Earshot, distance within which a certain noise may be heard.
           Stay within the sound of my voice.
     15. v. (intransitive) To produce a sound.
           When the horn sounds, take cover.
     16. v. (copulative) To convey an impression by one's sound.
           He sounded good when we last spoke.
           That story sounds like a pack of lies!
     17. v. (intransitive) To be conveyed in sound; to be spread or published; to convey intelligence by sound.
     18. v. (intransitive, obsolete) To resound.
     19. v. (intransitive, legal, often, with in) To arise or to be recognizable as arising in or from a particular area of law.
     20. v. To cause to produce a sound.
           Sound the alarm!
           He sounds the instrument.
     21. v. (transitive, phonetics, of a vowel or consonant) To pronounce.
           The "e" in "house" isn't sounded.
     22. n. (geography) A long narrow inlet, or a strait between the mainland and an island; also, a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean.
           Puget Sound; Owen Sound
     23. n. The air bladder of a fish.
           Cod sounds are an esteemed article of food.
     24. n. A cuttlefish.
     25. v. (intransitive) Dive downwards, used of a whale.
           The whale sounded and eight hundred feet of heavy line streaked out of the line tub before he ended his dive.
     26. v. To ascertain, or try to ascertain, the thoughts, motives, and purposes of (a person); to examine; to try; to test; to probe.
           When I sounded him, he appeared to favor the proposed deal.
     27. v. Test; ascertain the depth of water with a sounding line or other device.
           Mariners on sailing ships would sound the depth of the water with a weighted rope.
     28. v. (medicine) To examine with the instrument called a sound or sonde, or by auscultation or percussion.
           to sound a patient, or the bladder or urethra
     29. n. (medicine) An instrument for probing or dilating; a sonde.
     30. n. A long, thin probe for sounding body cavities or canals such as the urethra.
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
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.
S
     1. n. (American Library Association) Abbreviation of sextodecimo; a book size, 15-17.5 cm in height.
     2. n. South.
     3. n. (abbreviation of season) (group of episodes of a series).
           I watched S01 through 03. I have yet to watch the S04.
           The pilot episode is S01E01.
     4. Number. en-number, upper=S, lower=s
     
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.
sh
     1. interj. alternative spelling of shh
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.
sash
     1. n. A piece of cloth designed to be worn around the waist.
     2. n. A decorative length of cloth worn over the shoulder to the opposite hip, often for ceremonial or other formal occasions.
     3. v. To adorn with a sash or scarf.
     4. n. The opening part (casement) of a window usually containing the glass panes, hinged to the jamb, or sliding up and down as in a sash window.
     5. n. (software, graphical user interface) A draggable vertical or horizontal bar used to adjust the relative sizes of two adjacent windows.
     6. n. In a sawmill, the rectangular frame in which the saw is strained and by which it is carried up and down with a reciprocating motion; the gate.
     7. v. To furnish with a sash.
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.
surge
     1. n. A sudden transient rush, flood or increase.
           He felt a surge of excitement.
     2. n. The maximum amplitude of a vehicle's forward/backward oscillation
     3. n. (electricity) A sudden electrical spike or increase of voltage and current.
           A power surge at that generator created a blackout across the whole district.
     4. n. (nautical) The swell or heave of the sea. (FM 55-501).
     5. n. (obsolete) A spring; a fountain.
     6. n. The tapered part of a windlass barrel or a capstan, upon which the cable surges, or slips.
     7. v. (intransitive) To rush, flood, or increase suddenly.
           Toaster sales surged last year.
     8. v. To accelerate forwards, particularly suddenly.
           A ship surges forwards, sways sideways and heaves up.
     9. v. (transitive, nautical) To slack off a line.
Dictionary entries from Wiktionary