may |
1. v. (obsolete, intransitive) To be strong; to have power (over). | |
2. v. (obsolete, auxiliary) To be able; can. | |
3. v. (intransitive, poetic) To be able to go. | |
4. v. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have permission to, be allowed. Used in granting permission and in questions to make polite requests. | |
you may smoke outside; may I sit there? | |
5. v. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) Expressing a present possibility; possibly. | |
he may be lying; Schrödinger's cat may or may not be in the box | |
6. v. (subjunctive present, defective) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect). | |
may you win; may the weather be sunny | |
7. v. Used in modesty, courtesy, or concession, or to soften a question or remark. | |
8. n. The hawthorn bush or its blossoms. | |
9. v. (poetic, intransitive) To gather may, or flowers in general. | |
10. v. (poetic, intransitive) To celebrate May Day. | |
11. n. (archaic) A maiden. | |
I |
1. pron. The speaker or writer, referred to as the grammatical subject, of a sentence. | |
(audio, Here I am, sir.ogg, Audio) | |
2. pron. (nonstandard, hypercorrection) The speaker or writer, referred to as the grammatical object, of a sentence. | |
3. n. (metaphysics) The ego. | |
4. n. (US, roadway) Interstate. | |
5. n. (grammar) (abbreviation of instrumental case) | |
6. pron. nonstandard spelling of I | |
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? | |
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. | |
last |
1. adj. Final, ultimate, coming after all others of its kind. | |
“Eyes Wide Shut” was the last film to be directed by Stanley Kubrick. | |
2. adj. Most recent, latest, last so far. | |
The last time I saw him, he was married. | |
I have received your note dated the 17th last, and am responding to say that.... (archaic usage) | |
3. adj. Farthest of all from a given quality, character, or condition; most unlikely, or least preferable. | |
He is the last person to be accused of theft. | |
The last person I want to meet is Helen. | |
More rain is the last thing we need right now. | |
4. adj. Being the only one remaining of its class. | |
Japan is the last empire. | |
5. adj. Supreme; highest in degree; utmost. | |
6. adj. Lowest in rank or degree. | |
the last prize | |
7. det. The (one) immediately before the present. | |
We went there last year. | |
8. det. (of a day of the week) Closest to seven days (one week) ago. | |
It's Wednesday, and the party was last Tuesday; that is, not yesterday, but eight days ago. | |
9. adv. Most recently. | |
When we last met, he was based in Toronto. | |
10. adv. (sequence) after everything else; finally | |
I'll go last. | |
last but not least | |
11. v. (transitive, obsolete) To perform, carry out. | |
12. v. (intransitive) To endure, continue over time. | |
Summer seems to last longer each year. | |
They seem happy now, but that won't last long. | |
13. v. (intransitive) To hold out, continue undefeated or entire. | |
I don't know how much longer we can last without reinforcements. | |
14. n. A tool for shaping or preserving the shape of shoes. | |
15. v. To shape with a last; to fasten or fit to a last; to place smoothly on a last. | |
to last a boot | |
16. n. (obsolete) A burden; load; a cargo; freight. | |
17. n. (obsolete) A measure of weight or quantity, varying in designation depending on the goods concerned. | |
18. n. (obsolete) An old English (and Dutch) measure of the carrying capacity of a ship, equal to two tons. | |
19. n. A load of some commodity with reference to its weight and commercial value. | |
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. | |
forced |
1. v. simple past tense and past participle of force | |
2. adj. Obtained forcefully, not naturally. | |
Her forced smile was harder and harder to keep as her critical father kept on complaining about her. | |
3. adj. Opened or accessed using force. | |
force |
1. n. Strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigour; might; capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect. | |
the force of an appeal, an argument, or a contract | |
2. n. Power exerted against will or consent; compulsory power; violence; coercion. | |
3. n. Anything that is able to make a big change in a person or thing. | |
4. n. (physics) A physical quantity that denotes ability to push, pull, twist or accelerate a body which is measured in a unit dimensioned in mass × distance/time² (ML/T²): SI: newton (N); CGS: dyne (dyn) | |
5. n. Something or anything that has the power to produce an effect upon something else. | |
6. n. A group that aims to attack, control, or constrain. | |
police force | |
7. n. The ability to attack, control, or constrain. | |
show of force | |
8. n. A magic trick in which the outcome is known to the magician beforehand, especially one involving the apparent free choice of a card by another person. | |
9. n. (legal) Legal validity. | |
The law will come into force in January. | |
10. n. (legal) Either unlawful violence, as in a "forced entry", or lawful compulsion. | |
11. n. (linguistics, semantics, pragmatics) Ability of an utterance or its element (word, form, prosody, ...) to effect a given meaning. | |
12. n. (science fiction) A binding, metaphysical, and ubiquitous power in the fictional Star Wars universe created by George Lucas. | |
13. v. To violate (a woman); to rape. | |
14. v. (obsolete, reflexive, intransitive) To exert oneself, to do one's utmost. | |
15. v. To compel (someone or something) to do something. | |
16. v. To constrain by force; to overcome the limitations or resistance of. | |
17. v. To drive (something) by force, to propel (generally + prepositional phrase or adverb). | |
18. v. To cause to occur (despite inertia, resistance etc.); to produce through force. | |
The comedian's jokes weren't funny, but I forced a laugh now and then. | |
19. v. To forcibly open (a door, lock etc.). | |
To force a lock. | |
20. v. To obtain or win by strength; to take by violence or struggle; specifically, to capture by assault; to storm, as a fortress. | |
21. v. (transitive, baseball) To create an out by touching a base in advance of a runner who has no base to return to while in possession of a ball which has already touched the ground. | |
Jones forced the runner at second by stepping on the bag. | |
22. v. (whist) To compel (an adversary or partner) to trump a trick by leading a suit that he/she does not hold. | |
23. v. (archaic) To put in force; to cause to be executed; to make binding; to enforce. | |
24. v. (archaic) To provide with forces; to reinforce; to strengthen by soldiers; to man; to garrison. | |
25. v. (obsolete) To allow the force of; to value; to care for. | |
26. n. (Northern England) A waterfall or cascade. | |
27. v. To stuff; to lard; to farce. | |
to |
1. part. A particle used for marking the following verb as an infinitive. | |
I want to leave. | |
He asked me what to do. | |
I don’t know how to say it. | |
I have places to go and people to see. | |
2. part. As above, with the verb implied. | |
"Did you visit the museum?" "I wanted to, but it was closed.". | |
If he hasn't read it yet, he ought to. | |
3. part. A particle used to create phrasal verbs. | |
I have to do laundry today. | |
4. prep. Indicating destination: In the direction of, and arriving at. | |
We are walking to the shop. | |
5. prep. Used to indicate purpose. | |
He devoted himself to education. | |
They drank to his health. | |
6. prep. Used to indicate result of action. | |
His face was beaten to a pulp. | |
7. prep. Used after an adjective to indicate its application. | |
similar to ..., relevant to ..., pertinent to ..., I was nice to him, he was cruel to her, I am used to walking. | |
8. prep. (obsolete,) As a. | |
With God to friend (with God as a friend); with The Devil to fiend (with the Devil as a foe); lambs slaughtered to lake (lambs slaughtered as a sacrifice); t | |
9. prep. (arithmetic) Used to indicate a ratio or comparison. | |
one to one = 1:1 | |
ten to one = 10:1. | |
I have ten dollars to your four. | |
10. prep. (arithmetic) Used to indicate that the preceding term is to be raised to the power of the following value; indicates exponentiation. | |
Three squared or three to the second power is nine. | |
Three to the power of two is nine. | |
Three to the second is nine. | |
11. prep. Used to indicate the indirect object. | |
I gave the book to him. | |
12. prep. (time) Preceding. | |
ten to ten = 9:50; We're going to leave at ten to (the hour). | |
13. prep. Used to describe what something consists of or contains. | |
Anyone could do this job; there's nothing to it. | |
There's a lot of sense to what he says. | |
14. prep. (Canada, UK, Newfoundland, West Midlands) At. | |
Stay where you're to and I'll come find you, b'y. | |
15. adv. Toward a closed, touching or engaging position. | |
Please push the door to. | |
16. adv. (nautical) Into the wind. | |
17. adv. misspelling of too | |
give |
1. v. (ditransitive) To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere. | |
2. v. To transfer one's possession or holding of (something) to (someone). | |
I gave him my coat. | |
I gave my coat to the beggar. | |
When they asked, I gave my coat. | |
3. v. To make a present or gift of. | |
I'm going to give my wife a necklace for her birthday. | |
She gave a pair of shoes to her husband for their anniversary. | |
He gives of his energies to the organization. | |
4. v. To pledge. | |
I gave him my word that I'd protect his children. | |
5. v. To provide (something) to (someone), to allow or afford. | |
I gave them permission to miss tomorrow's class. | |
Please give me some more time. | |
6. v. To cause (a sensation or feeling) to exist in. | |
It gives me a lot of pleasure to be here tonight. | |
The fence gave me an electric shock. | |
My mother-in-law gives me nothing but grief. | |
7. v. To carry out (a physical interaction) with (something). | |
I want to give you a kiss. | |
She gave him a hug. | |
I'd like to give the tire a kick. | |
I gave the boy a push on the swing. | |
She gave me a wink afterwards, so I knew she was joking. | |
8. v. To pass (something) into (someone's) hand or the like. | |
Give me your hand. | |
On entering the house, he gave his coat to the doorman. | |
9. v. To cause (a disease or condition) in, or to transmit (a disease or condition) to. | |
My boyfriend gave me chlamydia. | |
He was convinced that it was his alcoholism that gave him cancer. | |
10. v. (ditransitive) To estimate or predict (a duration or probability) for (something). | |
I give it ten minutes before he gives up. | |
I give it a 95% chance of success. | |
I'll give their marriage six months. | |
11. v. (intransitive) To yield slightly when a force is applied. | |
12. v. (intransitive) To collapse under pressure or force. | |
One pillar gave, then more, and suddenly the whole floor pancaked onto the floor below. | |
13. v. To provide, as, a service or a broadcast. | |
They're giving my favorite show! | |
14. v. (intransitive) To lead (onto or into). | |
The master bedroom gives onto a spacious balcony. | |
15. v. (transitive, dated) To provide a view of. | |
His window gave the park. | |
16. v. To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to yield. | |
The number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship. | |
17. v. To cause; to make; used with the infinitive. | |
18. v. To cause (someone) to have; produce in (someone); effectuate. | |
19. v. To allow or admit by way of supposition; to concede. | |
He can be bad-tempered, I'll give you that, but he's a hard worker. | |
20. v. To attribute; to assign; to adjudge. | |
21. v. To communicate or announce (advice, tidings, etc.); to pronounce or utter (an opinion, a judgment, a shout, etc.). | |
22. v. (dated) To grant power or permission to; to allow. | |
23. v. (reflexive) To devote or apply (oneself). | |
The soldiers give themselves to plunder. | |
That boy is given to fits of bad temper. | |
24. v. (obsolete) To become soft or moist. | |
25. v. (obsolete) To shed tears; to weep. | |
26. v. (obsolete) To have a misgiving. | |
27. v. To be going on, to be occurring | |
What gives? | |
28. n. The amount of bending that something undergoes when a force is applied to it; a tendency to yield under pressure; resilence. | |
This chair doesn't have much give. | |
There is no give in his dogmatic religious beliefs. | |
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. | |
deathbed |
1. n. The bed on which someone dies. | |
2. n. The last hours before death. | |
speech |
1. n. The faculty of uttering articulate sounds or words; the ability to speak or to use vocalizations to communicate. | |
It was hard to hear the sounds of his speech over the noise. He had a bad speech impediment. | |
2. n. A session of speaking, especially a long oral message given publicly by one person. | |
The candidate made some ambitious promises in his campaign speech. | |
3. n. A style of speaking. | |
Her speech was soft and lilting. | |
4. n. (grammar) Speech reported in writing; see direct speech, reported speech | |
5. n. A dialect or language. | |
6. n. Talk; mention; rumour. | |
7. v. (transitive, intransitive) To make a speech; to harangue. | |