many |
1. det. An indefinite large number of. | |
many people enjoy playing chess; there are many different ways to cook a meal | |
2. pron. A collective mass of people. | |
Democracy must balance the rights of the few against the will of the many | |
A great many do not understand this. | |
3. pron. An indefinite large number of people or things. | |
Many are called, but few are chosen. | |
4. n. A multitude; a great aggregate; a mass of people; the generality; the common herd. | |
5. n. A considerable number. | |
critics |
1. n. plural of critic | |
critic |
1. n. A person who appraises the works of others. | |
2. n. A specialist in judging works of art. | |
3. n. One who criticizes; a person who finds fault. | |
4. n. An opponent. | |
5. n. (obsolete form of critique) (an act of criticism) | |
6. n. (obsolete form of critique) (the art of criticism) | |
7. v. (obsolete, ambitransitive) To criticise. | |
blamed |
1. adj. euphemism of damned (intensifier). | |
2. v. simple past tense and past participle of blame | |
blame |
1. n. Censure. | |
Blame came from all directions. | |
2. n. Culpability for something negative or undesirable. | |
The blame for starting the fire lies with the arsonist. | |
3. n. Responsibility for something meriting censure. | |
They accepted the blame, but it was an accident. | |
4. n. (computing) A source control feature that can show which user was responsible for a particular portion of the source code. | |
5. v. To censure (someone or something); to criticize. | |
6. v. (obsolete) To bring into disrepute. | |
7. v. (transitive, usually followed by "for") To assert or consider that someone is the cause of something negative; to place blame, to attribute responsibility (for something negative or for doing somethin | |
The arsonist was blamed for the fire. | |
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. | |
decline |
1. n. A reduction or diminution of activity. | |
2. v. (intransitive) To move downwards, to fall, to drop. | |
The dollar has declined rapidly since 2001. | |
3. v. (intransitive) To become weaker or worse. | |
My health declined in winter. | |
4. v. To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall. | |
5. v. To cause to decrease or diminish. | |
6. v. To turn or bend aside; to deviate; to stray; to withdraw. | |
a line that declines from straightness | |
conduct that declines from sound morals | |
7. v. To refuse, forbear. | |
On reflection I think I will decline your generous offer. | |
8. v. (transitive, grammar, usually of substantives, adjectives and pronouns) To inflect for case, number and sometimes gender. | |
9. v. (by extension) To run through from first to last; to repeat like a schoolboy declining a noun. | |
10. v. (American football, Canadian football) To reject a penalty against the opposing team, usually because the result of accepting it would benefit the non-penalized team less than the preceding play. | |
on |
1. adj. In the state of being active, functioning or operating. | |
2. adj. Performing according to schedule. | |
Are we still on for tonight? | |
Is the show still on? | |
3. adj. (chiefly UK, informal, usually negative) Acceptable, appropriate. | |
You can't do that; it's just not on. | |
4. adj. (informal) Destined, normally in the context of a challenge being accepted; involved, doomed. | |
"Five bucks says the Cavs win tonight." ―"You're on!". | |
Mike just threw coffee onto Paul's lap. It's on now. | |
5. adj. (baseball, informal) Having reached a base as a runner and being positioned there, awaiting further action from a subsequent batter. | |
6. adj. (euphemistic) Menstruating. | |
7. adv. To an operating state. | |
turn the television on | |
8. adv. Along, forwards (continuing an action). | |
drive on, rock on | |
9. adv. In continuation, at length. | |
and so on. | |
He rambled on and on. | |
10. adv. (not US) Later. | |
Ten years on, nothing had changed in the village. | |
11. prep. Positioned at the upper surface of, touching from above. | |
on the table; on the couch | |
The parrot was sitting on Jim's shoulder. | |
12. prep. At or near; adjacent to. | |
Soon we'll pass a statue on the left. | |
The fleet is on the American coast. | |
Croton-on-Hudson, Rostov-on-Don, Southend-on-Sea | |
13. prep. Covering. | |
He wore old shoes on his feet. | |
14. prep. At the date of. | |
Born on the 4th of July. | |
15. prep. Some time during the day of. | |
I'll see you on Monday. The bus leaves on Friday. Can I see you on a different day? On Sunday I'm busy. | |
16. prep. Dealing with the subject of, about, or concerning something. | |
A book on history. The World Summit on the Information Society. | |
17. prep. Touching; hanging from. | |
The fruit ripened on the trees. The painting hangs on the wall. | |
18. prep. (informal) In the possession of. | |
I haven't got any money on me. | |
19. prep. Because of, or due to. | |
To arrest someone on suspicion of bribery. To contact someone on a hunch. | |
20. prep. Upon; at the time of (and often because of). | |
On Jack's entry, William got up to leave. | |
On the addition of ammonia, a chemical reaction begins. | |
21. prep. Paid for by. | |
The drinks are on me tonight, boys. The meal is on the house. I paid for the airfare and meals for my family, but the hotel room was on the company. | |
22. prep. Used to indicate a means or medium. | |
I saw it on television. Can't you see I'm on the phone? | |
23. prep. Indicating a means of subsistence. | |
They lived on ten dollars a week. The dog survived three weeks on rainwater. | |
24. prep. Away or occupied with (e.g. a scheduled activity). | |
He's on his lunch break. on vacation; on holiday | |
25. prep. Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with. | |
to play on a violin or piano | |
Her words made a lasting impression on my mind. | |
26. prep. Regularly taking (a drug). | |
You've been on these antidepressants far too long. He's acting so strangely, I think he must be on something. | |
27. prep. Under the influence of (a drug). | |
He's acting crazy because he's on crack right now. | |
28. prep. (mathematics) Having identical domain and codomain. | |
a function on | |
29. prep. (mathematics) HavingV^n as domain and V as codomain, for some set V and integer n. | |
an operator on | |
30. prep. (mathematics) Generated by. | |
the free group on four letters | |
31. prep. Supported by (the specified part of itself). | |
A table can't stand on two legs. After resting on his elbows, he stood on his toes, then walked on his heels. | |
32. prep. At a given time after the start of something; at. | |
33. prep. In addition to; besides; indicating multiplication or succession in a series. | |
heaps on heaps of food | |
mischief on mischief; loss on loss | |
34. prep. (obsolete, regional) of | |
35. prep. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in. | |
I depended on them for assistance. | |
He will promise on certain conditions. | |
Do you ever bet on horses? | |
36. prep. Toward; for; indicating the object of an emotion. | |
Have pity or compassion on him. | |
37. prep. (obsolete) At the peril of, or for the safety of. | |
38. prep. In the service of; connected with; of the number of. | |
He is on a newspaper; I am on the committee. | |
39. prep. By virtue of; with the pledge of. | |
He affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honour. | |
40. prep. To the account or detriment of; denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon. | |
On us be all the blame. | |
A curse on him! | |
Please don't tell on her and get her in trouble. | |
He turned on her and has been her enemy ever since. | |
He went all honest on me, making me listen to his confession. | |
41. v. (transitive, Singapore, Philippines) to switch on | |
Can you on the light? | |
42. prep. (UK dialectal, Scotland) Without. | |
43. n. In the Japanese language, a pronunciation, or reading, of a kanji character that was originally based on the character's pronunciation in Chinese, contrasted with kun. | |
Most kanji have two kinds of reading, called "on" and "kun". | |
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. | |
paper |
1. n. A sheet material used for writing on or printing on (or as a non-waterproof container), usually made by draining cellulose fibres from a suspension in water. | |
2. n. A newspaper or anything used as such (such as a newsletter or listing magazine). | |
3. n. Wallpaper. | |
4. n. Wrapping paper. | |
5. n. (rock paper scissors) An open hand (a handshape resembling a sheet of paper), that beats rock and loses to scissors. It loses to lizard and beats Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock. | |
6. n. A written document, generally shorter than a book (white paper, term paper), in particular one written for the Government. | |
7. n. A written document that reports scientific or academic research and is usually subjected to peer review before publication in a scientific journal (as a journal article or the manuscript for one) or i | |
8. n. A scholastic essay. | |
9. n. (slang) Money. | |
10. n. (New Zealand) A university course. | |
11. n. A paper packet containing a quantity of items. | |
a paper of pins, tacks, opium, etc. | |
12. n. A medicinal preparation spread upon paper, intended for external application. | |
cantharides paper | |
13. n. A substance resembling paper secreted by certain invertebrates as protection for their nests and eggs. | |
14. adj. Made of paper. | |
paper bag; paper plane | |
15. adj. Insubstantial (from the weakness of common paper) | |
paper tiger; paper gangster | |
16. adj. Planned (from plans being drawn up on paper) | |
paper rocket; paper engine | |
17. v. To apply paper to. | |
to paper the hallway walls | |
18. v. To document; to memorialize. | |
After they reached an agreement, their staffs papered it up. | |
19. v. To fill a theatre or other paid event with complimentary seats. | |
As the event has not sold well, we'll need to paper the house. | |
20. v. To submit papers to (a law court, etc.). | |
vehement |
1. adj. Showing strong feelings; passionate; forceful or intense. | |
anti |
1. adj. Opposed to something. | |
2. adj. (chemistry) That has a torsion angle between 90° and 180° | |
3. n. A person opposed to a concept or principle. | |
4. prep. (rare) Alternative form of anti- | |
war |
1. n. Organized, large-scale, armed conflict between countries or between national, ethnic, or other sizeable groups, usually involving the engagement of military forces. | |
The war was largely between Sunni and Shia militants. | |
2. n. A particular conflict of this kind. | |
3. n. By extension, any conflict, or anything resembling a conflict. | |
You look like you've been through the wars. | |
4. n. (figuratively) A campaign against something. | |
The "war on drugs" is a campaign against the use of narcotic drugs. | |
The "war on terror" is a campaign against terrorist crime. | |
In the US, conservatives rail against the "war on Christmas". | |
5. n. (business) A bout of fierce competition in trade. | |
I reaped the benefit of the car dealerships' price war, getting my car for far less than it's worth. | |
The cellular phone companies were engaged in a freebie war, each offering various services thrown in when one purchased a plan. | |
6. n. (obsolete) Instruments of war. | |
7. n. (obsolete) Armed forces. | |
8. n. A particular card game for two players, notable for having its outcome predetermined by how the cards are dealt. | |
9. v. (intransitive) To engage in conflict (may be followed by "with" to specify the foe). | |
10. v. To carry on, as a contest; to wage. | |
stance |
1. n. The manner, pose, or posture in which one stands. | |
The fencer’s stance showed he was ready to begin. | |
2. n. One's opinion or point of view. | |
Synonyms: position, posture, stand | |
I don’t agree with your stance on gun control. | |
3. n. A place to stand; a position, a site, a station. | |
4. n. (specifically, climbing) A foothold or ledge on which to set up a belay. | |
5. n. (Scotland) A place for buses or taxis to await passengers; a bus stop, a taxi rank. | |
Synonyms: stand | |
6. n. (Scotland) A place where a fair or market is held; a location where a street trader can carry on business. | |
Synonyms: stand | |
7. n. (obsolete, rare) A stanza. | |
8. v. (transitive, Scotland) To place, to position, to station; (specifically) to put (cattle) into an enclosure or pen in preparation for sale. | |
which |
1. det. (interrogative) What, of those mentioned or implied. | |
Which song made the charts? | |
2. det. (relative) The one or ones that. | |
Show me which one is bigger. | |
They couldn't decide which song to play. | |
3. det. (relative) The one or ones mentioned. | |
He once owned a painting of the house, which painting would later be stolen. | |
For several seconds he sat in silence, during which time the tea and sandwiches arrived. | |
I'm thinking of getting a new car, in which case I'd get a red one. | |
4. pron. (interrogative) What one or ones (of those mentioned or implied). | |
Which is bigger?; Which is which? | |
5. pron. (relative) Who; whom; what (of those mentioned or implied). | |
He walked by a door with a sign, which read: PRIVATE OFFICE. | |
We've met some problems which are very difficult to handle. | |
He had to leave, which was very difficult. | |
No art can be properly understood apart from the culture of which it is a part. | |
6. pron. (relative, archaic) Used of people (now generally who, whom or that). | |
7. n. An occurrence of the word which. | |
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. | |
maintained |
1. adj. showing maintenance or attention | |
The house had a neat, well-maintained garden in front. | |
2. v. simple past tense and past participle of maintain | |
They maintained the house, the land, and the shed out back. | |
maintain |
1. v. (obsolete, transitive) To support (someone), to back up or assist (someone) in an action. | |
2. v. To keep up; to preserve; to uphold (a state, condition etc.). | |
3. v. To declare or affirm (a clause) to be true; to assert. | |
Even |
1. n. An ethnic Even: a member of an indigenous people living in the Siberia and the Russian Far East. | |
2. adj. Flat and level. | |
Clear out those rocks. The surface must be even. | |
3. adj. Without great variation. | |
Despite her fear, she spoke in an even voice. | |
4. adj. Equal in proportion, quantity, size, etc. | |
The distribution of food must be even. | |
5. adj. (not comparable, of an integer) Divisible by two. | |
Four, fourteen and forty are even numbers. | |
6. adj. (of a number) Convenient for rounding other numbers to; for example, ending in a zero. | |
7. adj. On equal monetary terms; neither owing nor being owed. | |
8. adj. (colloquial) On equal terms of a moral sort; quits. | |
You biffed me back at the barn, and I biffed you here—so now we're even. | |
9. adj. parallel; on a level; reaching the same limit. | |
10. adj. (obsolete) Without an irregularity, flaw, or blemish; pure. | |
11. adj. (obsolete) Associate; fellow; of the same condition. | |
12. v. To make flat and level. | |
We need to even this playing field; the west goal is too low. | |
13. v. (transitive, obsolete) To equal. | |
14. v. (intransitive, obsolete) To be equal. | |
Thrice nine evens twenty seven. | |
15. v. (transitive, obsolete) To place in an equal state, as to obligation, or in a state in which nothing is due on either side; to balance, as accounts; to make quits. | |
16. v. (transitive, obsolete) To set right; to complete. | |
17. v. (transitive, obsolete) To act up to; to keep pace with. | |
18. adv. (archaic) Exactly, just, fully. | |
I fulfilled my instructions even as I had promised. | |
You are leaving tonight? — Even so. | |
This is my commandment, that ye love one another, even as I have loved you. | |
19. adv. In reality; implying an extreme example in the case mentioned, as compared to the implied reality. | |
Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn sometimes. | |
Did you even make it through the front door? | |
That was before I was even born. | |
20. adv. Emphasizing a comparative. | |
I was strong before, but now I am even stronger. | |
21. adv. Signalling a correction of one's previous utterance; rather, that is. | |
My favorite actor is Jack Nicklaus. Jack Nicholson, even. | |
22. adv. also | |
23. n. (mathematics) An even number. | |
So let's see. There are two evens here and three odds. | |
24. n. (archaic, or poetic) Evening. | |
after |
1. adv. Behind; later in time; following. | |
They lived happily ever after. | |
I left the room, and the dog bounded after. | |
2. prep. Subsequently to; following in time; later than. | |
We had a few beers after the game. | |
The time is quarter after eight. | |
The Cold War began shortly after the Second World War. | |
3. prep. Behind. | |
He will leave a trail of destruction after him. | |
4. prep. In pursuit of, seeking. | |
He's after a job; run after him; inquire after her health. | |
5. prep. In allusion to, in imitation of; following or referencing. | |
We named him after his grandfather; a painting after Leonardo da Vinci. | |
6. prep. Next in importance or rank. | |
The princess is next in line to the throne after the prince. | |
7. prep. As a result of. | |
After your bad behaviour, you will be punished. | |
8. prep. In spite of. | |
After all that has happened, he is still my friend. | |
I can't believe that, after all our advice against gambling, you walked into that casino! | |
9. prep. (Irish usually preceded by a form of be followed by an -ing form of a verb) Used to indicate recent completion of an activity | |
I was after finishing my dinner when there was a knock on the door. | |
10. prep. (dated) According to an author or text. | |
11. prep. Denoting the aim or object; concerning; in relation to. | |
to look after workmen; to enquire after a friend; to thirst after righteousness | |
12. prep. (obsolete) According to the direction and influence of; in proportion to; befitting. | |
13. conj. Signifies that the action of the clause it starts takes place before the action of the other clause. | |
I went home after we had decided to call it a day. | |
14. adj. (dated) Later; second (of two); next, following, subsequent | |
15. adj. (nautical, where the frame of reference is within the ship) At or towards the stern of a ship. | |
The after gun is mounted aft. | |
The after gun is abaft the forward gun. | |
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. | |
Start |
1. n. A typical button for video games, originally used to start a game, now also often to pause or choose an option. | |
2. n. The beginning of an activity. | |
The movie was entertaining from start to finish. | |
3. n. A sudden involuntary movement. | |
He woke with a start. | |
4. n. The beginning point of a race, a board game, etc. | |
5. n. An appearance in a sports game from the beginning of the match. | |
Jones has been a substitute before, but made his first start for the team last Sunday. | |
6. n. (horticulture) A young plant germinated in a pot to be transplanted later. | |
7. n. An initial advantage over somebody else; a head start. | |
to get, or have, the start | |
8. v. To begin, commence, initiate. | |
9. v. To set in motion. | |
to start a stream of water; to start a rumour; to start a business | |
10. v. To begin. | |
11. v. To initiate operation of a vehicle or machine. | |
to start the engine | |
12. v. To put or raise (a question, an objection); to put forward (a subject for discussion). | |
13. v. To bring onto being or into view; to originate; to invent. | |
14. v. (intransitive) To begin an activity. | |
The rain started at 9:00. | |
15. v. (intransitive) To have its origin (at), begin. | |
The speed limit is 50 km/h, starting at the edge of town. | |
The blue line starts one foot away from the wall. | |
16. v. To startle or be startled; to move or be moved suddenly. | |
17. v. (intransitive) To jerk suddenly in surprise. | |
18. v. (intransitive) To awaken suddenly. | |
19. v. To disturb and cause to move suddenly; to startle; to alarm; to rouse; to cause to flee or fly. | |
The hounds started a fox. | |
20. v. To move suddenly from its place or position; to displace or loosen; to dislocate. | |
to start a bone; the storm started the bolts in the vessel | |
21. v. (intransitive) To break away, to come loose. | |
22. v. (transitive, sports) To put into play. | |
23. v. (transitive, nautical) To pour out; to empty; to tap and begin drawing from. | |
to start a water cask | |
24. v. (intransitive, euphemistic) To start one's periods (menstruation). | |
Have you started yet? | |
25. n. A tail, or anything projecting like a tail. | |
26. n. A handle, especially that of a plough. | |
27. n. The curved or inclined front and bottom of a water wheel bucket. | |
28. n. The arm, or level, of a gin, drawn around by a horse. | |
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. | |
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. | |
conflict |
1. n. A clash or disagreement, often violent, between two or more opposing groups or individuals. | |
The conflict between the government and the rebels began three years ago. | |
2. n. An incompatibility, as of two things that cannot be simultaneously fulfilled. | |
I wanted to attend the meeting but there's a conflict in my schedule that day. | |
3. v. (intransitive)To be at odds (with); to disagree or be incompatible | |
4. v. (intransitive)To overlap (with), as in a schedule. | |
Your conference call conflicts with my older one: please reschedule. | |
It appears that our schedules conflict. | |