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. | |
Is |
1. n. plural of I | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of be | |
He is a doctor. He retired some time ago. | |
Should he do the task, it is vital that you follow him. | |
3. n. plural of i | |
remember to dot your is | |
be |
1. v. (intransitive, now literary) To exist; to have real existence. | |
2. v. (with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist. | |
There is just one woman in town who can help us. (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us. | |
3. v. (intransitive) To occupy a place. | |
The cup is on the table. | |
4. v. (intransitive) To occur, to take place. | |
When will the meeting be? | |
5. v. (intransitive, in perfect tenses, without predicate) Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar. | |
The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come. | |
I have been to Spain many times. | |
Moscow, huh? I've never been, but it sounds fascinating. | |
6. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject and object are the same. | |
Knowledge is bliss. | |
Hi, I’m Jim. | |
7. v. (transitive, copulative, mathematics) Used to indicate that the values on either side of an equation are the same. | |
3 times 5 is fifteen. | |
8. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject plays the role of the predicate nominal. | |
François Mitterrand was president of France from 1981 to 1995. | |
9. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to connect a noun to an adjective that describes it. | |
The sky is blue. | |
10. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase. | |
The sky is a deep blue today. | |
11. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the passive voice. | |
The dog was drowned by the boy. | |
12. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form the continuous forms of various tenses. | |
The woman is walking. | |
I shall be writing to you soon. | |
We liked to chat while we were eating. | |
13. v. (archaic, auxiliary) Used to form the perfect aspect with certain intransitive verbs, most of which indicate motion. Often still used for "to go". | |
14. v. (transitive, auxiliary) Used to form future tenses, especially the future periphrastic. | |
I am to leave tomorrow. | |
I would drive you, were I to obtain a car. | |
15. v. (transitive, copulative) Used to link a subject to a measurement. | |
This building is three hundred years old. | |
I am 75 kilograms. | |
He’s about 6 feet tall. | |
16. v. (transitive, copulative, with a cardinal numeral) Used to state the age of a subject in years. | |
I’m 20. (= I am 20 years old.) | |
17. v. (with a dummy subject) it Used to indicate the time of day. | |
It is almost eight. (= It is almost eight o’clock.) | |
It’s 8:30 read eight-thirty in Tokyo. | |
What time is it there? It’s night. | |
18. v. (With since) Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event. | |
It has been three years since my grandmother died. (similar to My grandmother died three years ago, but emphasizes the intervening period) | |
It had been six days since his departure, when I received a letter from him. | |
19. v. (often, impersonal, with it as a dummy subject) Used to indicate weather, air quality, or the like. | |
It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid. | |
Why is it so dark in here? | |
20. v. (dynamic/lexical "be", especially in progressive tenses, conjugated non-suppletively in the present tense, see usage notes) To exist or behave in a certain way. | |
"What do we do?" "We be ourselves.". | |
Why is he being nice to me? | |
here |
1. adv. (location) In, on, or at this place. | |
2. adv. (location) To this place; used in place of the more dated hither. | |
Please come here. | |
3. adv. (abstract) In this context. | |
Derivatives can refer to anything that is derived from something else, but here they refer specifically to functions that give the slope of the tangent line to a curve. | |
4. adv. At this point in the argument or narration. | |
Here endeth the lesson. | |
5. n. (abstract) This place; this location. | |
An Alzheimer patient's here may in his mind be anywhere he called home in the time he presently re-lives. | |
6. adj. Filler after a noun or demonstrative pronoun, solely for emphasis. | |
John here is a rascal. | |
7. adj. Filler after a demonstrative pronoun but before the noun it modifies, solely for emphasis. | |
This here orange is too sour. | |
8. interj. (slang) (non-gloss, Used semi-assertively to offer something to the listener.) | |
Here, now I'm giving it to you. | |
9. interj. (UK, slang) Used for emphasis at the beginning of a sentence when expressing an opinion or want. | |
Here, I'm tired and I want a drink. | |
that |
1. conj. Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement. | |
He told me that the book is a good read. | |
I believe that it is true. — She is convinced that he is British. | |
2. conj. Introducing a subordinate clause expressing a reason or cause: because, in that. | |
Be glad that you have enough to eat. | |
3. conj. (now uncommon) Introducing a subordinate clause that expresses an aim, purpose or goal ("final"), and usually contains the auxiliaries may, might or should: so, so that. | |
4. conj. Introducing — especially, but not exclusively, with an antecedent like so or such — a subordinate clause expressing a result, consequence or effect. | |
The noise was so loud that she woke up. | |
The problem was sufficiently important that it had to be addressed. | |
5. conj. (archaic, or poetic) Introducing a premise or supposition for consideration: seeing as; inasmuch as; given that; as would appear from the fact that. | |
6. conj. Introducing a subordinate clause modifying an adverb. | |
Was John there? — Not that I saw. | |
How often did she visit him? — Twice that I saw. | |
7. conj. Introducing an exclamation expressing a desire or wish. | |
8. conj. Introducing an exclamation expressing a strong emotion such as sadness or surprise. | |
9. det. The (thing, person, idea, etc) indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote physically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction. | |
That book is a good read. This one isn't. | |
That battle was in 1450. | |
That cat of yours is evil. | |
10. pron. (demonstrative) The thing, person, idea, quality, event, action or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "t | |
He went home, and after that I never saw him again. | |
11. pron. The known (thing); (used to refer to something just said). | |
They're getting divorced. What do you think about that? | |
12. pron. (demonstrative) The aforementioned quality; used together with a verb and pronoun to emphatically repeat a previous statement. | |
The water is so cold! — That it is. | |
13. pron. (relative) (plural that) Which, who; (representing a subject, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition). | |
The CPR course that she took really came in handy. | |
The house that he lived in was old and dilapidated. | |
14. pron. (colloquial) (Used in place of relative adverbs such as where or when; often omitted.) | |
the place that = where or to which I went last year | |
the last time that = when I went to Europe | |
15. adv. (degree) To a given extent or degree. | |
"The ribbon was that thin." "I disagree, I say it was not that thin, it was thicker... or maybe thinner...". | |
16. adv. (degree) To a great extent or degree; very, particularly (in negative constructions). | |
I'm just not that sick. | |
I did the run last year, and it wasn't that difficult. | |
17. adv. (obsolete, outside, dialects) To such an extent; so. (in positive constructions). | |
Ooh, I was that happy I nearly kissed her. | |
18. n. (philosophy) Something being indicated that is there; one of those. | |
we |
1. pron. (personal) The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person (not the person being addressed). (This is the exclusive we.) | |
2. pron. (personal) The speaker(s)/writer(s) and the person(s) being addressed. (This is the inclusive we.) | |
3. pron. (personal) The speaker/writer alone. (This use of we is the editorial we, used by writers and others, including royalty—the royal we—as a less personal substitute for I. The reflexive case of this sen | |
4. pron. (personal) The plural form of you, including everyone being addressed. | |
How are we all tonight? | |
5. pron. (personal, generally considered patronising) A second- or third-person pronoun for a person in the speaker's care. | |
How are we feeling this morning? | |
6. det. The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person. | |
We Canadians like to think of ourselves as different. | |
discover |
1. v. To find or learn something for the first time. | |
Turning the corner, I discovered a lovely little shop. I discovered that they sold widgets. | |
2. v. (transitive, obsolete) To remove the cover from; to uncover (a head, building etc.). | |
3. v. (transitive, now rare) To expose, uncover. | |
The gust of wind discovered a bone in the sand. | |
4. v. (transitive, chess) To create by moving a piece out of another piece's line of attack. | |
This move discovers an attack on a vital pawn. | |
5. v. (transitive, archaic) To reveal (information); to divulge, make known. | |
I discovered my plans to the rest of the team. | |
6. v. (transitive, obsolete) To reconnoitre, explore (an area). | |
7. v. (obsolete) To manifest without design; to show; to exhibit. | |
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. | |
next |
1. adj. nearest, Nearest in place or position, having nothing similar intervening; adjoining. | |
2. adj. Nearest in order, succession, or rank; immediately preceding or following in order. | |
the next chapter; the next man I see; the next week; the Sunday next before Easter | |
3. adj. (figuratively) Following in a hypothetical sequence of some kind. | |
4. det. The one immediately following the current or most recent one | |
Next week would be a good time to meet. | |
I'll know better next time. | |
5. det. Closest to seven days (one week) in the future. | |
The party is next Tuesday; that is, not this Tuesday, but nine days from now. | |
6. adv. In a time, place or sequence closest or following. | |
They live in the next closest house. | |
It's the next best thing to ice cream. | |
Next, we stripped off the old paint. | |
7. adv. On the first subsequent occasion | |
Financial panic, earthquakes, oil spills, riots. What comes next? | |
When we next meet, you'll be married. | |
8. prep. On the side of; next to. | |
9. n. The one that follows after this one. | |
Next, please, don't hold up the queue! | |
small |
1. adj. Not large or big; insignificant; few in number. | |
A small serving of ice cream. | |
A small group. | |
He made us all feel small. | |
2. adj. (figuratively) Young, as a child. | |
Remember when the children were small? | |
3. adj. (writing, incomparable) Minuscule or lowercase, referring to written letters. | |
4. adj. Envincing little worth or ability; not large-minded; paltry; mean. | |
5. adj. Not prolonged in duration; not extended in time; short. | |
a small space of time | |
6. adj. topics, en, Size | |
7. adv. In a small fashion. | |
8. adv. In or into small pieces. | |
9. adv. (obsolete) To a small extent. | |
10. n. (rare) Any part of something that is smaller or slimmer than the rest, now usually with anatomical reference to the back. | |
11. v. (obsolete, transitive) To make little or less. | |
12. v. (intransitive) To become small; to dwindle. | |
calamity |
1. n. An event resulting in great loss. | |
2. n. The distress that results from some disaster. | |