my |
1. det. First-person singular possessive determiner. See. | |
2. det. Belonging to me. | |
I can't find my book. | |
3. det. Associated with me. | |
My seat at the restaurant was uncomfortable. | |
Don't you know my name? | |
I recognised him because he had attended my school. | |
4. det. Related to me. | |
My parents won't let me go out tonight. | |
5. det. In the possession of me. | |
I have to take my books back to the library soon. | |
6. interj. Used to express surprise, shock or amazement. | |
My, what big teeth you have! | |
reviewer |
1. n. A person who writes reviews for a newspaper or other publication; a critic. | |
Synonyms: critic | |
2. n. An inspector. | |
said |
1. v. simple past tense and past participle of say | |
2. adj. Mentioned earlier; aforesaid. | |
The said party has denied the charges. | |
3. det. Mentioned earlier; aforesaid. | |
Said party has denied the charges. | |
say |
1. v. To pronounce. | |
Please say your name slowly and clearly. | |
2. v. To recite. | |
Martha, will you say the Pledge of Allegiance? | |
3. v. To tell, either verbally or in writing. | |
He said he would be here tomorrow. | |
4. v. To indicate in a written form. | |
The sign says it’s 50 kilometres to Paris. | |
5. v. (impersonal) To have a common expression; used in singular passive voice or plural active voice to indicate a rumor or well-known fact. | |
They say "when in Rome, do as the Romans do", which means "behave as those around you do.". | |
6. v. (informal, imperative) Suppose, assume; used to mark an example, supposition or hypothesis. | |
A holiday somewhere warm – Florida, say – would be nice. | |
Say he refuses. What do we do then? | |
Say your family is starving and you don't have any money, is it ok to steal some food? | |
7. v. (intransitive) To speak; to express an opinion; to make answer; to reply. | |
8. v. (transitive, informal, of a possession, especially money) To bet as a wager on an outcome; by extension, used to express belief in an outcome by the speaker. | |
9. n. A chance to speak; the right or power to influence or make a decision. | |
10. adv. For example; let us assume. | |
Pick a color you think they'd like, say, peach. | |
He was driving pretty fast, say, fifty miles per hour. | |
11. interj. (colloquial) Used to gain one's attention before making an inquiry or suggestion | |
Say, what did you think about the movie? | |
12. n. A type of fine cloth similar to serge. | |
13. v. To try; to assay. | |
14. n. Trial by sample; assay; specimen. | |
15. n. Tried quality; temper; proof. | |
16. n. Essay; trial; attempt. | |
17. n. (Scotland) A strainer for milk. | |
She |
1. pron. honoraltcaps, she | |
2. n. An ethnic group in southern China. | |
3. n. A language of the Hmong-Mien language family spoken by the She people. | |
4. pron. (personal) The female person or animal previously mentioned or implied. | |
I asked Mary, but she said that she didn’t know. | |
5. pron. (personal, sometimes affectionate) A ship or boat. | |
She could do forty knots in good weather. | |
She is a beautiful boat, isn’t she? | |
6. pron. (personal, affectionate) Another machine (besides a ship), such as a car. | |
She only gets thirty miles to the gallon on the highway, but she’s durable. | |
7. pron. (personal, dated) A country. | |
She is a poor place, but has beautiful scenery and friendly people. | |
8. pron. (personal) A person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant (used in a work, along with or in place of he, as an indefinite pronoun). | |
9. n. A female. | |
Pat is definitely a she. | |
couldn't |
1. v. could not (negative auxiliaryArnold M. Zwicky and Geoffrey K. Pullum, , Language 59 (3), 1983, pp. 502-513) | |
could |
1. v. simple past tense of can | |
Before I was blind, I could see very well. | |
2. v. conditional of can | |
3. v. Used as a past subjunctive (contrary to fact). | |
I think he could do it if he really wanted to. | |
I wish I could fly! | |
4. v. Used to politely ask for permission to do something. | |
Could I borrow your coat? | |
5. v. Used to politely ask for someone else to do something. | |
Could you proofread this email? | |
6. v. Used to show the possibility that something might happen. | |
We could rearrange the time if you like. | |
7. v. Used to suggest something. | |
You could try adding more salt to the soup. | |
8. n. Something that could happen, or could be the case, under different circumstances; a potentiality. | |
can |
1. v. (auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to. | |
She can speak English, French, and German. I can play football. Can you remember your fifth birthday? | |
2. v. (modal auxiliary verb, defective, informal) May; to be permitted or enabled to. | |
You can go outside and play when you're finished with your homework. Can I use your pen? | |
3. v. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have the potential to; be possible. | |
Can it be Friday already? | |
Teenagers can really try their parents' patience. | |
Animals can experience emotions. | |
4. v. (auxiliary verb, defective) Used with verbs of perception. | |
Can you hear that?. | |
I can feel the baby moving inside me. | |
5. v. (obsolete, transitive) To know. | |
6. n. A more or less cylindrical vessel for liquids, usually of steel or aluminium, but sometimes of plastic, and with a carrying handle over the top. | |
7. n. A container used to carry and dispense water for plants (a watering can). | |
8. n. A tin-plate canister, often cylindrical, for preserved foods such as fruit, meat, or fish. | |
9. n. (archaic) A chamber pot, now (US, slang) a toilet or lavatory. | |
Shit or get off the can. | |
Bob's in the can. You can wait a few minutes or just leave it with me. | |
10. n. (US, slang) Buttocks. | |
11. n. (slang) Jail or prison. | |
Bob's in the can. He won't be back for a few years. | |
12. n. (slang) Headphones. | |
13. n. (archaic) A drinking cup. | |
14. n. (nautical) A cube-shaped buoy or marker used to denote a port-side lateral mark | |
15. n. A chimney pot. | |
16. v. To preserve, by heating and sealing in a can or jar. | |
They spent August canning fruit and vegetables. | |
17. v. to discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.). | |
He canned the whole project because he thought it would fail. | |
18. v. To shut up. | |
Can your gob. | |
19. v. (US, euphemistic) To fire or dismiss an employee. | |
The boss canned him for speaking out. | |
not |
1. adv. Negates the meaning of the modified verb. | |
Did you take out the trash? No, I did not. | |
Not knowing any better, I went ahead. | |
2. adv. To no degree. | |
That is not red; it's orange. | |
3. conj. And not. | |
I wanted a plate of shrimp, not a bucket of chicken. | |
He painted the car blue and black, not solid purple. | |
4. interj. (slang) Used to indicate that the previous phrase was meant sarcastically or ironically. | |
I really like hanging out with my little brother watching Barney... not! | |
Sure, you're perfect the way you are... not! | |
5. n. Unary logical function NOT, true if input is false, or a gate implementing that negation function. | |
You need a not there to conform with the negative logic of the memory chip. | |
6. contraction. (obsolete) Contraction of ne wot, wot not; know not; knows not. | |
picture |
1. n. A representation of anything (as a person, a landscape, a building) upon canvas, paper, or other surface, by drawing, painting, printing, photography, etc. | |
2. n. An image; a representation as in the imagination. | |
3. n. A painting. | |
There was a picture hanging above the fireplace. | |
4. n. A photograph. | |
I took a picture of the church. | |
5. n. (informal) A motion picture. | |
Casablanca is my all-time favorite picture. | |
6. n. (in the informal) ("the pictures") Cinema (as a form of entertainment). | |
Let's go to the pictures. | |
7. n. A paragon, a perfect example or specimen (of a category). | |
She's the very picture of health. | |
8. n. An attractive sight. | |
The garden is a real picture at this time of year. | |
9. n. The art of painting; representation by painting. | |
10. n. A figure; a model. | |
11. n. Situation. | |
The employment picture for the older middle class is not so good. | |
You can't just look at the election, you've got to look at the big picture. | |
12. v. To represent in or with a picture. | |
13. v. To imagine or envision. | |
14. v. To depict or describe vividly. | |
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. | |
setting |
1. v. present participle of set | |
2. n. The time, place and circumstance in which something (such as a story or picture) is set; context; scenario. | |
3. n. The act of setting. | |
the setting of the sun | |
the setting, or hardening, of moist plaster of Paris | |
4. n. A piece of metal in which a precious stone or gem is fixed to form a piece of jewelry. | |
5. n. A level or placement that a knob or control is set to. | |
the volume setting on a television | |
6. n. The act of marking the position of game, as a setter does. | |
7. n. Hunting with a setter. | |
8. n. Something set in, or inserted. | |
9. n. A piece of vocal or choral music composed for particular words (set to music). | |
10. n. The mounting of a play, etc., for the stage. | |
11. n. The direction of a current of wind. | |
12. adj. that disappears below the horizon | |
the setting sun | |
set |
1. v. To put (something) down, to rest. | |
Set the tray there. | |
2. v. To attach or affix (something) to something else, or in or upon a certain place. | |
I have set my heart on running the marathon. | |
3. v. To put in a specified condition or state; to cause to be. | |
4. v. (transitive, dated) To cause to stop or stick; to obstruct; to fasten to a spot. | |
to set a coach in the mud | |
5. v. To determine or settle. | |
to set the rent | |
6. v. To adjust. | |
I set the alarm at 6 a.m. | |
7. v. To punch (a nail) into wood so that its head is below the surface. | |
8. v. To arrange with dishes and cutlery, to set the table. | |
Please set the table for our guests. | |
9. v. To introduce or describe. | |
I’ll tell you what happened, but first let me set the scene. | |
10. v. To locate (a play, etc.); to assign a backdrop to. | |
He says he will set his next film in France. | |
11. v. To compile, to make (a puzzle or challenge). | |
This crossword was set by Araucaria. | |
12. v. To prepare (a stage or film set). | |
13. v. To fit (someone) up in a situation. | |
14. v. To arrange (type). | |
It was a complex page, but he set it quickly. | |
15. v. To devise and assign (work) to. | |
The teacher set her students the task of drawing a foot. | |
16. v. (transitive, volleyball) To direct (the ball) to a teammate for an attack. | |
17. v. (intransitive) To solidify. | |
The glue sets in four minutes. | |
18. v. To render stiff or solid; especially, to convert into curd; to curdle. | |
to set milk for cheese | |
19. v. (intransitive) Of a heavenly body, to disappear below the horizon of a planet, etc, as the latter rotates. | |
The moon sets at eight o'clock tonight. | |
20. v. (transitive, bridge) To defeat a contract. | |
21. v. (obsolete, now followed by "out", as in set out) To begin to move; to go forth. | |
22. v. (transitive, botany) To produce after pollination. | |
to set seed | |
23. v. (intransitive, of fruit) To be fixed for growth; to strike root; to begin to germinate or form. | |
24. v. (intransitive, Southern US, Midwestern US, dialects) To sit (be in a seated position). | |
He sets in that chair all day. | |
25. v. To hunt game with the aid of a setter. | |
26. v. (hunting, ambitransitive) Of a dog, to indicate the position of game. | |
The dog sets the bird. | |
Your dog sets well. | |
27. v. (obsolete) To apply oneself; to undertake earnestly; to set out. | |
28. v. To fit music to words. | |
29. v. To place plants or shoots in the ground; to plant. | |
to set pear trees in an orchard | |
30. v. To become fixed or rigid; to be fastened. | |
31. v. To have a certain direction of motion; to flow; to move on; to tend. | |
The current sets to the north; the tide sets to the windward. | |
32. v. To place or fix in a setting. | |
to set a precious stone in a border of metal | |
to set glass in a sash | |
33. v. To put in order in a particular manner; to prepare. | |
to set (that is, to hone) a razor | |
to set a saw | |
34. v. To extend and bring into position; to spread. | |
to set the sails of a ship | |
35. v. To give a pitch to, as a tune; to start by fixing the keynote. | |
to set a psalm | |
36. v. To reduce from a dislocated or fractured state. | |
to set a broken bone | |
37. v. (masonry) To lower into place and fix solidly, as the blocks of cut stone in a structure. | |
38. v. (obsolete) To wager in gambling; to risk. | |
39. v. To adorn with something infixed or affixed; to stud; to variegate with objects placed here and there. | |
40. v. (obsolete) To value; to rate; used with at. | |
41. v. To establish as a rule; to furnish; to prescribe; to assign. | |
to set a good example; to set lessons to be learned | |
42. v. (Scotland) To suit; to become. | |
It sets him ill. | |
43. n. A punch for setting nails in wood. | |
nail set | |
44. n. A device for receiving broadcast radio waves (or, more recently, broadcast data); a radio or television. | |
television set | |
45. n. (alt form, sett): a hole made and lived in by a badger. | |
46. n. (alt form, sett): pattern of threads and yarns. | |
47. n. (alt form, sett): piece of quarried stone. | |
48. n. (horticulture) A small tuber or bulb used instead of seed, particularly onion sets and potato sets. | |
49. n. The amount the teeth of a saw protrude to the side in order to create the kerf. | |
50. n. (obsolete, rare) That which is staked; a wager; hence, a gambling game. | |
51. n. (engineering) Permanent change of shape caused by excessive strain, as from compression, tension, bending, twisting, etc. | |
the set of a spring | |
52. n. (piledriving) A piece placed temporarily upon the head of a pile when the latter cannot otherwise be reached by the weight, or hammer. | |
53. n. (printing, dated) The width of the body of a type. | |
54. n. A young oyster when first attached. | |
55. n. Collectively, the crop of young oysters in any locality. | |
56. n. A series or group of something. (Note the similar meaning in Etymology 2, Noun) | |
57. n. (colloquial) The manner, state, or quality of setting or fitting; fit. | |
the set of a coat | |
58. n. The camber of a curved roofing tile. | |
59. adj. Fixed in position. | |
60. adj. Rigid, solidified. | |
61. adj. Ready, prepared. | |
on your marks, get set, go!; on your marks, set, go! | |
62. adj. Intent, determined (to do something). | |
set on getting to his destination | |
63. adj. Prearranged. | |
a set menu | |
64. adj. Fixed in one’s opinion. | |
for |
1. conj. (dated) Because. | |
2. prep. Towards. | |
The astronauts headed for the moon. | |
3. prep. Directed at, intended to belong to. | |
I have something for you. | |
4. prep. In honor of, or directed towards the celebration or event of. | |
We're having a birthday party for Janet. | |
The cake is for Tom and Helen's anniversary. | |
The mayor gave a speech for the charity gala. | |
5. prep. Supporting. | |
All those for the motion raise your hands. | |
6. prep. Because of. | |
He wouldn't apologize; and just for that, she refused to help him. | |
(UK usage) He looks better for having lost weight. | |
She was the worse for drink. | |
7. prep. Over a period of time. | |
I've lived here for three years. | |
They fought for days over a silly pencil. | |
8. prep. Throughout an extent of space. | |
9. prep. On behalf of. | |
I will stand in for him. | |
10. prep. Instead of, or in place of. | |
11. prep. In order to obtain or acquire. | |
I am aiming for completion by the end of business Thursday. | |
He's going for his doctorate. | |
Do you want to go for coffee? | |
People all over Greece looked to Delphi for answers. | |
Can you go to the store for some eggs? | |
I'm saving up for a car. | |
Don't wait for an answer. | |
What did he ask you for? | |
12. prep. In the direction of: marks a point one is going toward. | |
Run for the hills! | |
He was headed for the door when he remembered. | |
13. prep. By the standards of, usually with the implication of those standards being lower than one might otherwise expect. | |
Fair for its day. | |
She's spry for an old lady. | |
14. prep. Despite, in spite of. | |
15. prep. Used to indicate the subject of a to-infinitive. | |
For that to happen now is incredibly unlikely. (=It is incredibly unlikely that that will happen now.) | |
All I want is for you to be happy. (=All I want is that you be happy.) | |
16. prep. (chiefly US) Out of; used to indicate a fraction, a ratio | |
In term of base hits, Jones was three for four on the day | |
17. prep. (cricket) Used as part of a score to indicate the number of wickets that have fallen. | |
At close of play, England were 305 for 3. | |
18. prep. To be, or as being. | |
19. prep. (obsolete) (Indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done.) | |
20. prep. Used to construe various verbs (see the entries for individual phrasal verbs). | |
My |
1. n. megayear | |
2. pron. alternative case form of my often used when speaking as God or another important figure who is understood from context. | |
3. det. First-person singular possessive determiner. See. | |
4. det. Belonging to me. | |
I can't find my book. | |
5. det. Associated with me. | |
My seat at the restaurant was uncomfortable. | |
Don't you know my name? | |
I recognised him because he had attended my school. | |
6. det. Related to me. | |
My parents won't let me go out tonight. | |
7. det. In the possession of me. | |
I have to take my books back to the library soon. | |
8. interj. Used to express surprise, shock or amazement. | |
My, what big teeth you have! | |
story |
1. n. A sequence of real or fictional events; or, an account of such a sequence. | |
The book tells the story of two roommates. | |
2. n. A lie, fiction. | |
You’ve been telling stories again, haven’t you? | |
3. n. (US, colloquial usually pluralized) A soap opera. | |
What will she do without being able to watch her stories? | |
4. n. (obsolete) History. | |
5. n. A sequence of events, or a situation, such as might be related in an account. | |
What's the story with him? | |
I tried it again; same story, no error message, nothing happened. | |
The images it captured help tell a story of extreme loss: 25 percent of its ice and four of its 19 glaciers have disappeared since 1957. | |
6. n. (Internet, Snapchat) A temporary collection of a user's recently publicized snaps. | |
7. v. To tell as a story; to relate or narrate about. | |
8. n. (obsolete) A building or edifice. | |
9. n. (chiefly US) A floor or level of a building; a storey. | |
Our shop was on the fourth story of the building, so we had to install an elevator. | |
10. n. (typography) (alt form, storey) | |
So |
1. n. A Mon-Khmer-speaking people of Laos and Thailand. | |
2. conj. In order that. | |
Eat your broccoli so you can have dessert. | |
3. conj. With the result that; for that reason; therefore. | |
I was hungry so I asked if there was any more food. | |
He ate too much cake, so he fell ill. | |
He wanted a book, so he went to the library. | |
“I need to go to the bathroom.”―“So go!” | |
4. conj. (archaic) Provided that; on condition that, as long as. | |
5. adv. To the (explicitly stated) extent that. | |
It was so hot outside that all the plants died. He was so good, they hired him on the spot. | |
6. adv. (informal) To the (implied) extent. | |
I need a piece of cloth so long. = this long | |
7. adv. (informal) Very (positive clause). | |
He is so good! | |
8. adv. (informal) Very (negative clause). | |
It’s not so bad. i.e. it's acceptable | |
9. adv. (slang) Very much. | |
But I so want to see the Queen when she visits our town! That is so not true! | |
10. adv. In a particular manner. | |
Place the napkin on the table just so. If that's what you mean, then say so; (or do so). | |
11. adv. In the same manner or to the same extent as aforementioned; also. | |
Just as you have the right to your free speech, so I have the right to mine. Many people say she's the world's greatest athlete, but I don't think so. "I can count backwards from on | |
12. adv. (with as) To such an extent or degree; as. | |
so far as; so long as; so much as | |
13. adj. True, accurate. | |
That is so. You are responsible for this, is that not so? | |
14. adj. In that state or manner; with that attribute. A proadjective that replaces the aforementioned adjective phrase. | |
15. adj. (dated, UK, slang) Homosexual. | |
Is he so? | |
16. interj. Used after a pause for thought to introduce a new topic, question or story. | |
So, let's go home. | |
So, what'll you have? | |
So, there was this squirrel stuck in the chimney... | |
17. interj. (Short for) so what. | |
"You park your car in front of my house every morning." — "So?". | |
18. interj. Used to connect previous conversation or events to the following question. | |
So how does this story end? | |
So, everyone wants to know - did you win the contest or not? | |
19. interj. (archaic) Be as you are; stand still; (used especially to cows; also used by sailors.) | |
20. pron. abbreviation of someone | |
21. n. (music) A syllable used in solfège to represent the fifth note of a major scale. | |
22. n. (foods) A type of dairy product made in Japan between the seventh and 10th centuries. | |
I'm |
1. contraction. Contraction of I am. | |
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) | |
am |
1. v. first-person singular present indicative of be | |
2. adv. alternative spelling of a.m. | |
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? | |
improving |
1. adj. That tends to improve someone or something (especially (dated) to educate or morally better a person). | |
2. v. present participle of improve | |
improve |
1. v. To make (something) better; to increase the value or productivity (of something). | |
Painting the woodwork will improve this house. | |
Buying more servers would improve performance. | |
2. v. (intransitive) To become better. | |
I have improved since taking the tablets. | |
The error messages have improved since the last version, when they were incomprehensible. | |
3. v. (obsolete) To disprove or make void; to refute. | |
4. v. (obsolete) To disapprove of; to find fault with; to reprove; to censure. | |
to improve negligence | |
5. v. (dated) To use or employ to good purpose; to turn to profitable account. | |
to improve one's time; to improve his means | |
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. | |
exposition |
1. n. The action of exposing something to something, such as skin to the sunlight. | |
2. n. (authorship) The act or process of declaring or describing something through either speech or writing; the portions and aspects of a piece of writing that exist mainly to describe the setting, charact | |
This essay has too much exposition in it. | |
My reviewer said she couldn't picture the setting for my story, so I'm improving the exposition. | |
3. n. (obsolete) The act of expulsion, or being expelled, from a place. | |
4. n. An event at which goods, artwork and cultural displays are open for the public to view. | |
The first prototype was unveiled at an exposition. | |
5. n. (authorship) An essay or speech in which any topic is discussed in detail. | |
I turned my research into an exposition on the traditional music of Borneo. | |
6. n. (authorship) An opening section in fiction, in which background information about the characters, events or setting is conveyed. | |
7. n. (music) The opening section of a fugue; the opening section of a movement in sonata form | |
8. n. The action of putting something out to public view; for example in a display or show. | |