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. | |
amount |
1. n. The total, aggregate or sum of material (not applicable to discrete numbers or units or items in standard English). | |
The amount of atmospheric pollution threatens a health crisis. | |
2. n. A quantity or volume. | |
Pour a small amount of water into the dish. | |
The dogs need different amounts of food. | |
3. n. (nonstandard, sometimes proscribed) The number (the sum) of elements in a set. | |
4. v. (intransitive, followed by to) To total or evaluate. | |
It amounts to three dollars and change. | |
5. v. (intransitive, followed by to) To be the same as or equivalent to. | |
He was a pretty good student, but never amounted to much professionally. | |
His response amounted to gross insubordination | |
6. v. (obsolete, intransitive) To go up; to ascend. | |
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. | |
material |
1. adj. Having to do with matter; consisting of matter. | |
This compound has a number of interesting material properties. | |
2. adj. Worldly, as opposed to spiritual. | |
Don't let material concerns get in the way of living a happy life. | |
3. adj. (law, accounting) Significant. | |
You've made several material contributions to this project. | |
This is the most material fact in this lawsuit. | |
4. n. Matter which may be shaped or manipulated, particularly in making something. | |
Asphalt, composed of oil and sand, is a widely used material for roads. | |
5. n. Text written for a specific purpose. | |
We were a warm-up act at the time; we didn't have enough original material to headline. | |
6. n. A sample or specimens for study. | |
7. n. Cloth to be made into a garment. Fabric. | |
You'll need about a yard of material to make this. | |
8. n. The people collectively who are qualified for a certain position or activity. | |
John Doe is a great governor, and I also believe he is presidential material. | |
He is not the only one. I believe we have lots of presidential material in various public offices. | |
9. n. Related data of various kinds, especially if collected as the basis for a document or book. | |
10. n. The substance that something is made or composed of. | |
11. v. (obsolete, transitive) To form from matter; to materialize. | |
contained |
1. adj. Restricted in space. | |
The brush fire is now contained: if it doesn't jump the lines, it will burn itself out. | |
2. v. simple past tense and past participle of contain | |
This box contained rat poison, now it contains a dead rat. | |
contain |
1. v. To hold inside. | |
2. v. To include as a part. | |
3. v. To put constraint upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds. | |
I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself! | |
4. v. (mathematics, of a set etc., transitive) To have as an element or subset. | |
A group contains a unique inverse for each of its elements. | |
If that subgraph contains the vertex in question then it must be spanning. | |
5. v. (obsolete, intransitive) To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity. | |
contents |
1. n. plural of content | |
2. n. (usually plural) That which is contained. | |
It is not covered in your homeowner's policy. You need contents insurance. | |
The contents of the cup had a familiar aroma. | |
3. n. (pluralonly) A table of contents, a list of chapters, etc. in a book, and the page numbers on which they start. | |
I always start a book by reading the dustjacket and the contents before I really dig in to the content itself. | |
4. v. third-person singular present indicative of content | |
content |
1. n. That which is contained. | |
2. n. Subject matter; that which is contained in writing or speech. | |
3. n. The amount of material contained; contents. | |
4. n. Capacity for holding. | |
5. n. (mathematics) The n-dimensional space contained by an n-dimensional polytope (called volume in the case of a polyhedron and area in the case of a polygon). | |
6. n. (algebra, ring theory) (of a polynomial with coefficients in a GCD domain) The greatest common divisor of the coefficients; (of a polynomial with coefficients in an integral domain) the common factor | |
7. n. Satisfaction; contentment. | |
They were in a state of sleepy content after supper. | |
8. n. (obsolete) Acquiescence without examination. | |
9. n. That which contents or satisfies; that which if attained would make one happy. | |
10. n. (House of Lords) An expression of assent to a bill or motion; an affirmate vote. | |
11. n. (House of Lords) A member who votes in assent. | |
12. adj. Satisfied. | |
13. interj. (archaic) Alright, agreed. | |
14. v. To give contentment or satisfaction; to satisfy; to make happy. | |
You can't have any more - you'll have to content yourself with what you already have. | |
15. v. (transitive, obsolete) To satisfy the expectations of; to pay; to requite. | |