let |
1. v. To allow to, not to prevent (+ infinitive, but usually without to). | |
After he knocked for hours, I decided to let him come in. | |
2. v. To leave. | |
Let me alone! | |
3. v. To allow the release of (a fluid). | |
The physicians let about a pint of his blood, but to no avail. | |
4. v. To allow possession of (a property etc.) in exchange for rent. | |
I decided to let the farmhouse to a couple while I was working abroad. | |
5. v. To give, grant, or assign, as a work, privilege, or contract; often with out. | |
to let the building of a bridge; to let out the lathing and the plastering | |
6. v. Used to introduce an imperative in the first or third person. | |
Let's put on a show! | |
Let us have a moment of silence. | |
Let me just give you the phone number. | |
Let P be the point where AB and OX intersect. | |
7. v. (transitive, obsolete except with know) To cause (+ bare infinitive). | |
Can you let me know what time you'll be arriving? | |
8. n. The allowing of possession of a property etc. in exchange for rent. | |
9. v. (archaic) To hinder, prevent, impede, hamper, cumber; to obstruct (someone or something). | |
10. v. (obsolete) To prevent someone from doing something; also to prevent something from happening. | |
11. v. (obsolete) To tarry or delay. | |
12. n. An obstacle or hindrance. | |
13. n. (tennis) The hindrance caused by the net during serve, only if the ball falls legally. | |
No |
1. adv. (archaic) Alternative form of No. | |
2. n. Alternative form of No. | |
3. n. Alternative form of Noh: a form of classical Japanese drama. | |
4. det. Not any. | |
no one | |
There is no water left. | |
No hot dogs were sold yesterday. | |
No customer personal data will be retained unless it is rendered anonymous. | |
There was no score at the end of the first period. (The score was 0-0.) | |
5. det. Hardly any. | |
We'll be finished in no time at all. | |
6. det. Not any possibility or allowance of (doing something). | |
No smoking | |
There's no stopping her once she gets going. | |
7. det. Not (a); not properly, not really; not fully. | |
My mother's no fool. | |
Working nine to five every day is no life. | |
8. adv. (now only used with comparatives, except in Scotland) Not, not at all. | |
It is a different kind of torture, but no less gruesome. | |
I just want to find out whether she's coming or no. | |
9. part. Used to show disagreement or negation. | |
No, you are mistaken. | |
No, you may not watch television now. | |
10. part. Used to show agreement with a negative question. | |
"Don’t you like milk?" "No" (i.e., "No, I don’t like milk.") | |
11. part. (colloquial) As if to say, "No, don’t doubt this!", or to deny an imagined contradictory statement, used to show intense agreement | |
No, totally. | |
No, yeah, that's exactly right. | |
"Wow!" "Yeah, no, it was really awful!". | |
No, yeah | |
12. n. A negating expression; an answer that shows disagreement or disapproval. | |
13. n. A vote not in favor, or opposing a proposition. | |
The workers voted on whether to strike, and there were thirty "yeses" and one "no". | |
14. adv. (archaic) Alternative form of No. | |
15. n. Alternative form of No. | |
man |
1. n. An adult male human. | |
The show is especially popular with middle-aged men. | |
2. n. (collective) All human males collectively: mankind. | |
3. n. A human, a person of either gender, usually an adult. (See usage notes.) | |
every man for himself | |
4. n. (collective) All humans collectively: mankind, humankind, humanity. (Sometimes capitalized as Man.) | |
5. n. (anthropology, archaeology, paleontology) A member of the genus Homo, especially of the species Homo sapiens. | |
6. n. (obsolete) A sentient being, whether human or supernatural. | |
7. n. An adult male who has, to an eminent degree, qualities considered masculine, such as strength, integrity, and devotion to family; a mensch. | |
8. n. (obsolete, uncommon) Manliness; the quality or state of being manly. | |
9. n. A husband. | |
10. n. A lover; a boyfriend. | |
11. n. A male enthusiast or devotee; a male who is very fond of or devoted to a specified kind of thing. (Used as the last element of a compound.) | |
Some people prefer apple pie, but me, I’m a cherry pie man. | |
12. n. A person, usually male, who has duties or skills associated with a specified thing. (Used as the last element of a compound.) | |
I wanted to be a guitar man on a road tour, but instead I’m a flag man on a road crew. | |
13. n. A person, usually male, who can fulfill one's requirements with regard to a specified matter. | |
14. n. A male who belongs to a particular group: an employee, a student or alumnus, a representative, etc. | |
15. n. An adult male servant. | |
16. n. (historical) A vassal. A subject. | |
Like master, like man. (old proverb) | |
all the king's men | |
17. n. A piece or token used in board games such as chess. | |
18. n. (Multicultural London English, slang) Used to refer to oneself or one's group: I, we; (non-gloss definition, construed in the third person). | |
19. n. A term of familiar address often implying on the part of the speaker some degree of authority, impatience, or haste. | |
Come on, man, we've got no time to lose! | |
20. n. A friendly term of address usually reserved for other adult males. | |
Hey, man, how's it goin'? | |
21. n. (sports) A player on whom another is playing, with the intent of limiting their attacking impact. | |
22. adj. only used in, man enough | |
23. interj. Used to place emphasis upon something or someone; sometimes, but not always, when actually addressing a man. | |
Man, that was a great catch! | |
24. v. To supply (something) with staff or crew (of either sex). | |
The ship was manned with a small crew. | |
25. v. To take up position in order to operate (something). | |
Man the machine guns! | |
26. v. (reflexive, possibly dated) To brace (oneself), to fortify or steel (oneself) in a manly way. (Compare man up.) | |
27. v. (transitive, obsolete) To wait on, attend to or escort. | |
28. v. (transitive, obsolete, chiefly falconry) To accustom (a raptor or other type of bird) to the presence of people. | |
appropriate |
1. adj. Suitable or fit; proper. | |
The headmaster wondered what an appropriate measure would be to make the pupil behave better. | |
2. adj. Suitable to the social situation or to social respect or social discreetness; socially correct; socially discreet; well-mannered; proper. | |
I don't think it was appropriate for the cashier to tell me out loud in front of all those people at the check-out that my hair-piece looked like it was falling out of place. | |
While it is not considered appropriate for a professor to date his student, there is no such concern once the semester has ended. | |
3. adj. (obsolete) Set apart for a particular use or person; reserved. | |
4. v. (transitive, archaic) To make suitable; to suit. | |
5. v. To take to oneself; to claim or use, especially as by an exclusive right. | |
Let no man appropriate the use of a common benefit. | |
6. v. To set apart for, or assign to, a particular person or use, especially in exclusion of all others; with to or for. | |
A spot of ground is appropriated for a garden. | |
to appropriate money for the increase of the navy | |
7. v. (transitive, British, ecclesiastical, legal) To annex (for example a benefice, to a spiritual corporation, as its property). | |
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. | |
use |
1. n. The act of using. | |
the use of torture has been condemned by the United Nations; there is no use for your invention | |
2. n. (followed by "of") Usefulness, benefit. | |
What's the use of a law that nobody follows? | |
3. n. A function; a purpose for which something may be employed. | |
This tool has many uses. | |
4. n. Occasion or need to employ; necessity. | |
I have no further use for these textbooks. | |
5. n. (obsolete, rare) Interest for lent money; premium paid for the use of something; usury. | |
6. n. (archaic) Continued or repeated practice; usage; habit. | |
7. n. (obsolete) Common occurrence; ordinary experience. | |
8. n. (religion) The special form of ritual adopted for use in any diocese. | |
the Sarum, or Canterbury, use; the Hereford use; the York use; the Roman use; etc. | |
9. n. (forging) A slab of iron welded to the side of a forging, such as a shaft, near the end, and afterward drawn down, by hammering, so as to lengthen the forging. | |
10. v. To utilize or employ. | |
11. v. To employ; to apply; to utilize. | |
Use this knife to slice the bread. | |
We can use this mathematical formula to solve the problem. | |
12. v. (transitive, often with up) To expend; to consume by employing. | |
I used the money they allotted me. | |
We should use up most of the fuel. | |
She used all the time allotted to complete the test. | |
13. v. To exploit. | |
You never cared about me; you just used me! | |
14. v. To consume (alcohol, drugs, etc), especially regularly. | |
He uses cocaine. I have never used drugs. | |
15. v. (intransitive) To consume a previously specified substance, especially a drug to which one is addicted. | |
Richard began experimenting with cocaine last year; now he uses almost every day. | |
16. v. (transitive, with auxiliary "could") To benefit from; to be able to employ or stand. | |
I could use a drink. My car could use a new coat of paint. | |
17. v. To accustom; to habituate. (Now common only in participial form. Note: This usage uses the nounal pronunciation of the word rather than the typically verbal one.) | |
soldiers who are used to hardships and danger (still common) | |
to use the soldiers to hardships and danger (now rare) | |
18. v. (reflexive, obsolete, with "to") To become accustomed, to accustom oneself. | |
19. v. (intransitive, now rare, literary) To habitually do; to be wont to do. | |
20. v. (intransitive, now rare, literary) To habitually employ; to be wont to employ. | |
21. v. (intransitive, past tense with infinitive) To habitually do. See used to. | |
I used to get things done. | |
22. v. (dated) To behave toward; to act with regard to; to treat. | |
to use an animal cruelly | |
23. v. (reflexive, obsolete) To behave, act, comport oneself. | |
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. | |
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. | |
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. | |
benefit |
1. n. An advantage; help or aid from something. | |
It was for her benefit. His benefit was free beer. | |
2. n. (insurance) A payment made in accordance with an insurance policy or a public assistance scheme. | |
3. n. An event such as a performance, given to raise funds for some cause. | |
4. n. (obsolete) beneficence; liberality | |
5. v. To be or to provide a benefit to. | |
6. v. (intransitive) To receive a benefit (from); to be a beneficiary. | |