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. | |
overall |
1. adj. All-encompassing, all around. | |
2. adv. Generally; with everything considered. | |
Overall, there is not enough evidence to form a clear conclusion. | |
3. n. (British) A garment worn over other clothing to protect it; a coverall or boiler suit. A garment, for manual labor or for casual wear, often made of a single piece of fabric, with long legs and a bib | |
4. n. (in the US) A garment, worn for manual labor, with an integral covering extending to the chest, supported by straps. | |
plan |
1. n. A drawing showing technical details of a building, machine, etc., with unwanted details omitted, and often using symbols rather than detailed drawing to represent doors, valves, etc. | |
The plans for many important buildings were once publicly available. | |
2. n. A set of intended actions, usually mutually related, through which one expects to achieve a goal. | |
He didn't really have a plan; he had a goal and a habit of control. | |
3. n. A two-dimensional drawing of a building as seen from above with obscuring or irrelevant details such as roof removed, or of a floor of a building, revealing the internal layout; as distinct from the e | |
Seen in plan, the building had numerous passageways not apparent to visitors. | |
4. n. A method; a way of procedure; a custom. | |
5. n. A subscription to a service. | |
a phone plan | |
an Internet plan | |
6. v. To design (a building, machine, etc.). | |
The architect planned the building for the client. | |
7. v. To create a plan for. | |
They jointly planned the project in phases, with good detail for the first month. | |
8. v. (intransitive) To intend. | |
He planned to go, but work intervened. | |
9. v. See plan on. | |
I was planning on going, but something came up. | |
10. v. (intransitive) To make a plan. | |
They planned for the worst, bringing lots of emergency supplies. | |
Is |
1. n. plural of I | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of be | |
He is a doctor. He retired some time ago. | |
Should he do the task, it is vital that you follow him. | |
3. n. plural of i | |
remember to dot your is | |
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? | |
well |
1. adv. (manner) Accurately, competently, satisfactorily. | |
He does his job well. | |
2. adv. (manner) Completely, fully. | |
a well done steak | |
We’re well beat now. | |
3. adv. (degree) To a significant degree. | |
That author is well known. | |
4. adv. (degree, British, slang) Very (as a general-purpose intensifier). | |
5. adv. In a desirable manner; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favourably; advantageously. | |
6. adj. In good health. | |
I had been sick, but now I'm well. | |
7. adj. (hypercorrect) Good, content. | |
“How are you?” — “I'm well, thank you!” | |
8. adj. (archaic) Prudent; good; well-advised. | |
9. interj. Used to acknowledge a statement or situation. | |
“The car is broken.” “Well, we could walk to the movies instead.” | |
“I didn't like the music.” “Well, I thought it was good.” | |
“I forgot to pack the tent! Well, I guess we're sleeping under the stars tonight.” | |
10. interj. An exclamation of surprise, often doubled or tripled. | |
Well, well, well, what do we have here? | |
11. interj. An exclamation of indignance. | |
Well! There was no need to say that in front of my mother! | |
12. interj. Used in speech to express the overcoming of reluctance to say something. | |
It was a bit... well... too loud. | |
13. interj. Used in speech to fill gaps; filled pause. | |
“So what have you been doing?” “Well, we went for a picnic, and then it started raining so we came home early.” | |
14. interj. (Hiberno-English) Used as a greeting | |
Well lads. How's things? | |
15. n. A hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, oil, natural gas or other fluids. | |
16. n. A place where a liquid such as water surfaces naturally; a spring. | |
17. n. A small depression suitable for holding liquid or other objects. | |
Make a well in the dough mixture and pour in the milk. | |
18. n. (figurative) A source of supply. | |
19. n. (nautical) A vertical, cylindrical trunk in a ship, reaching down to the lowest part of the hull, through which the bilge pumps operate. | |
20. n. (nautical) The cockpit of a sailboat. | |
21. n. (nautical) A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes perforated in the bottom to let in water to keep fish alive while they are transported | |
22. n. (nautical) A vertical passage in the stern into which an auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of the water. | |
23. n. (military) A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from which run branches or galleries. | |
24. n. (architecture) An opening through the floors of a building, as for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole. | |
25. n. The open space between the bench and the counsel tables in a courtroom. | |
26. n. (metalworking) The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal falls. | |
27. n. A well drink. | |
They're having a special tonight: $1 wells. | |
28. n. (video games) The playfield of Tetris and similar video games, into which the blocks fall. | |
29. n. (biology) In a microtiter plate, each of the small equal circular or square sections which serve as test tubes. | |
30. v. (intransitive) To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring. | |
31. v. (intransitive) To have something seep out of the surface. | |
Her eyes welled with tears. | |
well |
1. adv. (manner) Accurately, competently, satisfactorily. | |
He does his job well. | |
2. adv. (manner) Completely, fully. | |
a well done steak | |
We’re well beat now. | |
3. adv. (degree) To a significant degree. | |
That author is well known. | |
4. adv. (degree, British, slang) Very (as a general-purpose intensifier). | |
5. adv. In a desirable manner; so as one could wish; satisfactorily; favourably; advantageously. | |
6. adj. In good health. | |
I had been sick, but now I'm well. | |
7. adj. (hypercorrect) Good, content. | |
“How are you?” — “I'm well, thank you!” | |
8. adj. (archaic) Prudent; good; well-advised. | |
9. interj. Used to acknowledge a statement or situation. | |
“The car is broken.” “Well, we could walk to the movies instead.” | |
“I didn't like the music.” “Well, I thought it was good.” | |
“I forgot to pack the tent! Well, I guess we're sleeping under the stars tonight.” | |
10. interj. An exclamation of surprise, often doubled or tripled. | |
Well, well, well, what do we have here? | |
11. interj. An exclamation of indignance. | |
Well! There was no need to say that in front of my mother! | |
12. interj. Used in speech to express the overcoming of reluctance to say something. | |
It was a bit... well... too loud. | |
13. interj. Used in speech to fill gaps; filled pause. | |
“So what have you been doing?” “Well, we went for a picnic, and then it started raining so we came home early.” | |
14. interj. (Hiberno-English) Used as a greeting | |
Well lads. How's things? | |
15. n. A hole sunk into the ground as a source of water, oil, natural gas or other fluids. | |
16. n. A place where a liquid such as water surfaces naturally; a spring. | |
17. n. A small depression suitable for holding liquid or other objects. | |
Make a well in the dough mixture and pour in the milk. | |
18. n. (figurative) A source of supply. | |
19. n. (nautical) A vertical, cylindrical trunk in a ship, reaching down to the lowest part of the hull, through which the bilge pumps operate. | |
20. n. (nautical) The cockpit of a sailboat. | |
21. n. (nautical) A compartment in the middle of the hold of a fishing vessel, made tight at the sides, but having holes perforated in the bottom to let in water to keep fish alive while they are transported | |
22. n. (nautical) A vertical passage in the stern into which an auxiliary screw propeller may be drawn up out of the water. | |
23. n. (military) A hole or excavation in the earth, in mining, from which run branches or galleries. | |
24. n. (architecture) An opening through the floors of a building, as for a staircase or an elevator; a wellhole. | |
25. n. The open space between the bench and the counsel tables in a courtroom. | |
26. n. (metalworking) The lower part of a furnace, into which the metal falls. | |
27. n. A well drink. | |
They're having a special tonight: $1 wells. | |
28. n. (video games) The playfield of Tetris and similar video games, into which the blocks fall. | |
29. n. (biology) In a microtiter plate, each of the small equal circular or square sections which serve as test tubes. | |
30. v. (intransitive) To issue forth, as water from the earth; to flow; to spring. | |
31. v. (intransitive) To have something seep out of the surface. | |
Her eyes welled with tears. | |
understood |
1. adj. Having been comprehended. | |
2. v. simple past tense and past participle of understand | |
3. interj. Indicates comprehension on the part of the speaker. | |
understand |
1. v. To be aware of the meaning of. | |
I understand German. | |
I received your note, but I did not understand it. | |
2. v. To believe, based on information. | |
I understand that you have information for me. | |
3. v. To impute meaning, character etc. that is not explicitly stated. | |
But we cannot disappoint Grandma and Grandpa Smith, and that is what family is all about! Do you understand?! | |
In this sense, the word is usually used in the past participle: | |
In the imperative mood, the word “you” is usually understood. | |
4. v. (obsolete, rare, humorous) To stand under; to support. | |
5. v. (circus, acrobatics) One who supports others in such performances as the human pyramid. | |
but |
1. prep. (obsolete, outside, Scotland) Outside of. | |
Away but the hoose and tell me whae's there. | |
2. prep. Apart from, except (for), excluding. | |
Everyone but Father left early. | |
I like everything but that. | |
Nobody answered the door when I knocked, so I had no choice but to leave. | |
3. adv. Merely, only, just. | |
4. adv. (Australian, conjunctive) Though, however. | |
I'll have to go home early but. | |
5. adv. Used as an intensifier. | |
Nobody, but nobody, crosses me and gets away with it. | |
6. conj. (following a negative clause or sentence) On the contrary, but rather (introducing a word or clause that contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence without the negation). | |
I am not rich but (I am) poor; not John but Peter went there. | |
7. conj. However, although, nevertheless, on the other hand (implies that the following clause is contrary to prior belief or contrasts with or contradicts the preceding clause or sentence). | |
She is very old but still attractive. | |
You told me I could do that, but she said that I could not. | |
8. conj. Except that (introducing a subordinate clause which qualifies a negative statement); also, with omission of the subject of the subordinate clause, acting as a negative relative, "except one that", "ex | |
I cannot but feel offended. | |
9. conj. (archaic) Without its also being the case that; unless that (introducing a necessary concomitant). | |
It never rains but it pours. | |
10. conj. (obsolete) Except with; unless with; without. | |
11. conj. (obsolete) Only; solely; merely. | |
12. conj. (obsolete) Until. | |
13. n. An instance or example of using the word "but". | |
It has to be done – no ifs or buts. | |
14. n. (Scotland) The outer room of a small two-room cottage. | |
15. n. A limit; a boundary. | |
16. n. The end; especially the larger or thicker end, or the blunt, in distinction from the sharp, end; the butt. | |
17. v. (archaic) Use the word "but". | |
But me no buts. | |
we |
1. pron. (personal) The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person (not the person being addressed). (This is the exclusive we.) | |
2. pron. (personal) The speaker(s)/writer(s) and the person(s) being addressed. (This is the inclusive we.) | |
3. pron. (personal) The speaker/writer alone. (This use of we is the editorial we, used by writers and others, including royalty—the royal we—as a less personal substitute for I. The reflexive case of this sen | |
4. pron. (personal) The plural form of you, including everyone being addressed. | |
How are we all tonight? | |
5. pron. (personal, generally considered patronising) A second- or third-person pronoun for a person in the speaker's care. | |
How are we feeling this morning? | |
6. det. The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person. | |
We Canadians like to think of ourselves as different. | |
still |
1. adj. Not moving; calm. | |
Still waters run deep. | |
2. adj. Not effervescing; not sparkling. | |
still water; still wines | |
3. adj. Uttering no sound; silent. | |
4. adj. (not comparable) Having the same stated quality continuously from a past time | |
5. adj. Comparatively quiet or silent; soft; gentle; low. | |
6. adj. (obsolete) Constant; continual. | |
7. adv. Without motion. | |
They stood still until the guard was out of sight. | |
8. adv. (aspect) Up to a time, as in the preceding time. | |
Is it still raining? It was still raining five minutes ago. | |
We've seen most of the sights, but we are still to visit the museum. | |
9. adv. (degree) To an even greater degree. Used to modify comparative adjectives or adverbs. | |
Tom is tall; Dick is taller; Harry is still taller. ("still" and "taller" can easily swap places here) | |
10. adv. (conjunctive) Nevertheless. | |
I’m not hungry, but I’ll still manage to find room for dessert. | |
Yeah, but still... | |
11. adv. (archaic, poetic) Always; invariably; constantly; continuously. | |
12. adv. (extensive) Even, yet. | |
Some dogs howl, more yelp, still more bark. | |
13. n. A period of calm or silence. | |
the still of the night | |
14. n. (photography) A photograph, as opposed to movie footage. | |
15. n. (slang) A resident of the Falkland Islands. | |
16. n. A steep hill or ascent. | |
17. n. a device for distilling liquids. | |
18. n. (catering) a large water boiler used to make tea and coffee. | |
19. n. (catering) the area in a restaurant used to make tea and coffee, separate from the main kitchen. | |
20. n. A building where liquors are distilled; a distillery. | |
21. v. to calm down, to quiet | |
to still the raging sea | |
22. v. (obsolete) To trickle, drip. | |
23. v. To cause to fall by drops. | |
24. v. To expel spirit from by heat, or to evaporate and condense in a refrigeratory; to distill. | |
have |
Additional archaic forms are second-person singular present tense hast, third-person singular present tense hath, present participle haveing, and second-person singular past tense hadst. | |
1. v. To possess, own, hold. | |
I have a house and a car. | |
Look what I have here — a frog I found on the street! | |
2. v. To be related in some way to (with the object identifying the relationship). | |
I have two sisters. | |
I have a lot of work to do. | |
3. v. To partake of a particular substance (especially a food or drink) or action. | |
I have breakfast at six o'clock. | |
Can I have a look at that? | |
I'm going to have some pizza and a beer right now. | |
4. v. To be scheduled to attend or participate in. | |
What class do you have right now? I have English. | |
Fred won't be able to come to the party; he has a meeting that day. | |
5. v. (auxiliary verb, taking a past participle) (Used in forming the perfect aspect and the past perfect aspect.) | |
I have already eaten today. | |
I had already eaten. | |
6. v. (auxiliary verb, taking a to-infinitive) See have to. | |
I have to go. | |
7. v. To give birth to. | |
The couple always wanted to have children. | |
My wife is having the baby right now! | |
My mother had me when she was 25. | |
8. v. To engage in sexual intercourse with. | |
He's always bragging about how many women he's had. | |
9. v. To accept as a romantic partner. | |
Despite my protestations of love, she would not have me. | |
10. v. (transitive with bare infinitive) To cause to, by a command, request or invitation. | |
They had me feed their dog while they were out of town. | |
11. v. (transitive with adjective or adjective-phrase complement) To cause to be. | |
He had him arrested for trespassing. | |
The lecture's ending had the entire audience in tears. | |
12. v. (transitive with bare infinitive) To be affected by an occurrence. (Used in supplying a topic that is not a verb argument.) | |
The hospital had several patients contract pneumonia last week. | |
I've had three people today tell me my hair looks nice. | |
13. v. (transitive with adjective or adjective-phrase complement) To depict as being. | |
Their stories differed; he said he'd been at work when the incident occurred, but her statement had him at home that entire evening. | |
14. v. (Used as interrogative auxiliary verb with a following pronoun to form tag questions. (For further discussion, see "Usage notes" below.)) | |
We haven't eaten dinner yet, have we? | |
Your wife hasn't been reading that nonsense, has she? | |
(UK usage) He has some money, hasn't he? | |
15. v. (UK, slang) To defeat in a fight; take. | |
I could have him! | |
I'm gonna have you! | |
16. v. (dated) To be able to speak a language. | |
I have no German. | |
17. v. To feel or be (especially painfully) aware of. | |
Dan certainly has arms today, probably from scraping paint off four columns the day before. | |
18. v. To be afflicted with, suffer from. | |
He had a cold last week. | |
19. v. To experience, go through, undergo. | |
We had a hard year last year, with the locust swarms and all that. | |
He had surgery on his hip yesterday. | |
I'm having the time of my life! | |
20. v. To trick, to deceive. | |
You had me alright! I never would have thought that was just a joke. | |
21. v. (transitive, often with present participle) To allow; to tolerate. | |
The child screamed incessantly for his mother to buy him a toy, but she wasn't having any of it. | |
I asked my dad if I could go to the concert this Thursday, but he wouldn't have it since it's a school night. | |
22. v. (transitive, often used in the negative) To believe, buy, be taken in by. | |
I made up an excuse as to why I was out so late, but my wife wasn't having any of it. | |
23. v. To host someone; to take in as a guest. | |
Thank you for having me! | |
24. v. To get a reading, measurement, or result from an instrument or calculation. | |
What do you have for problem two? | |
I have two contacts on my scope. | |
25. v. (transitive, of a jury) To consider a court proceeding that has been completed; to begin deliberations on a case. | |
We'll schedule closing arguments for Thursday, and the jury will have the case by that afternoon. | |
26. n. A wealthy or privileged person. | |
27. n. (uncommon) One who has some (contextually specified) thing. | |
28. n. (AU, NZ, informal) A fraud or deception; something misleading. | |
They advertise it as a great deal, but I think it's a bit of a have. | |
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 | |
work |
1. n. (heading) Employment. | |
2. n. Labour, occupation, job. | |
My work involves a lot of travel. | |
3. n. The place where one is employed. | |
He hasn’t come home yet, he’s still at work. | |
4. n. One's employer | |
“I want to go to the R.E.M. reunion concert but I'm not sure if my work will let me off.” | |
5. n. (heading) Effort. | |
6. n. Effort expended on a particular task. | |
Holding a brick over your head is hard work. It takes a lot of work to write a dictionary. | |
7. n. Sustained human effort to overcome obstacles and achieve a result. | |
We know what we must do. Let's go to work. | |
8. n. Something on which effort is expended. | |
There's lots of work waiting for me at the office. | |
9. n. (physics) A measure of energy expended in moving an object; most commonly, force times distance. No work is done if the object does not move. | |
Work is done against friction to drag a bag along the ground. | |
10. n. (physics, more generally) A measure of energy that is usefully extracted from a process. | |
11. n. Sustained effort to achieve a goal or result, especially overcoming obstacles. | |
We don't have much time. Let's get to work piling up those sandbags. | |
12. n. Product; the result of effort.: | |
13. n. (often, in combination) The result of a particular manner of production. | |
There's a lot of guesswork involved. | |
14. n. (often, in combination) Something produced using the specified material or tool. | |
We've got some paperwork to do before we can get started. The piece was decorated with intricate filigree work. | |
15. n. A literary, artistic, or intellectual production. | |
It is a work of art. | |
the poetic works of Alexander Pope | |
16. n. A fortification. | |
William the Conqueror fortified many castles, throwing up new ramparts, bastions and all manner of works. | |
17. n. (slang) The staging of events to appear as real. | |
18. n. (mining) Ore before it is dressed. | |
19. n. The equipment needed to inject a drug (syringes, needles, swabs etc.) | |
Tell me you're using clean works at least. | |
20. v. (intransitive) To do a specific task by employing physical or mental powers. | |
He’s working in a bar. | |
21. v. Followed by in (or at, etc.) Said of one's workplace (building), or one's department, or one's trade (sphere of business). | |
I work in a national park | |
she works in the human resources department | |
he mostly works in logging, but sometimes works in carpentry | |
22. v. Followed by as. Said of one's job title | |
I work as a cleaner. | |
23. v. Followed by for. Said of a company or individual who employs. | |
she works for Microsoft | |
he works for the president | |
24. v. Followed by with. General use, said of either fellow employees or instruments or clients. | |
I work closely with my Canadian counterparts | |
you work with computers | |
she works with the homeless people from the suburbs | |
25. v. To effect by gradual degrees. | |
he worked his way through the crowd | |
the dye worked its way through | |
using some tweezers, she worked the bee sting out of her hand | |
26. v. To embroider with thread. | |
27. v. To set into action. | |
He worked the levers. | |
28. v. To cause to ferment. | |
29. v. (intransitive) To ferment. | |
30. v. To exhaust, by working. | |
The mine was worked until the last scrap of ore had been extracted. | |
31. v. To shape, form, or improve a material. | |
He used pliers to work the wire into shape. | |
32. v. To operate in a certain place, area, or speciality. | |
she works the night clubs | |
the salesman works the Midwest | |
this artist works mostly in acrylics | |
33. v. To operate in or through; as, to work the phones. | |
34. v. To provoke or excite; to influence. | |
The rock musician worked the crowd of young girls into a frenzy. | |
35. v. To use or manipulate to one’s advantage. | |
She knows how to work the system. | |
36. v. To cause to happen or to occur as a consequence. | |
I cannot work a miracle. | |
37. v. To cause to work. | |
He is working his servants hard. | |
38. v. (intransitive) To function correctly; to act as intended; to achieve the goal designed for. | |
he pointed at the car and asked, "Does it work"?; he looked at the bottle of pain pills, wondering if they would work; my plan didn’t work | |
39. v. (intransitive, figuratively) To influence. | |
They worked on her to join the group. | |
40. v. (intransitive) To effect by gradual degrees; as, to work into the earth. | |
41. v. (intransitive) To move in an agitated manner. | |
His fingers worked with tension. | |
A ship works in a heavy sea. | |
42. v. (intransitive) To behave in a certain way when handled | |
this dough does not work easily; the soft metal works well | |
43. v. (transitive, with two objects, poetic) To cause (someone) to feel (something); to do unto somebody (something, whether good or bad). | |
44. v. (obsolete, intransitive) To hurt; to ache. | |
out |
See also individual phrasal verbs such as come out, go out, put out, take out, pull out, and so on. | |
1. adv. Away from the inside or the centre. | |
The magician pulled the rabbit out of the hat. | |
2. adv. Away from home or one's usual place. | |
Let's eat out tonight | |
3. adv. Outside; not indoors. | |
Last night we slept out under the stars. | |
4. adv. Away from; at a distance. | |
Keep out! | |
5. adv. Into a state of non-operation; into non-existence. | |
Switch the lights out. | |
Put the fire out. | |
6. adv. To the end; completely. | |
I hadn't finished. Hear me out. | |
7. adv. Used to intensify or emphasize. | |
The place was all decked out for the holidays. | |
8. adv. (of the sun, moon, stars, etc.) So as to be visible in the sky, and not covered by clouds, fog, etc. | |
The sun came out after the rain, and we saw a rainbow. | |
9. adv. (cricket, baseball) Of a player, so as to be disqualified from playing further by some action of a member of the opposing team (such as being stumped in cricket). | |
Wilson was bowled out for five runs. | |
10. prep. (nonstandard, contraction of out of) Away from the inside. | |
He threw it out the door. | |
11. prep. (colloquial) Outside. | |
It's raining out. | |
It's cold out. | |
12. n. A means of exit, escape, reprieve, etc. | |
They wrote the law to give those organizations an out. | |
13. n. (baseball) A state in which a member of the batting team is removed from play due to the application of various rules of the game such as striking out, hitting a fly ball which is caught by the fieldi | |
14. n. (cricket) A dismissal; a state in which a member of the batting team finishes his turn at bat, due to the application of various rules of the game, such as the bowler knocking over the batsman's wicke | |
15. n. (poker) A card which can make a hand a winner. | |
16. n. (dated) A trip out; an outing. | |
17. n. (mostly, in plural) One who, or that which, is out; especially, one who is out of office. | |
18. n. A place or space outside of something; a nook or corner; an angle projecting outward; an open space. | |
19. n. (printing, dated) A word or words omitted by the compositor in setting up copy; an omission. | |
20. v. To eject; to expel. | |
21. v. To reveal (a person) to be gay, bisexual, or transgender. | |
22. v. To reveal (a person or organization) as having a certain secret, such as a being a secret agent or undercover detective. | |
23. v. To reveal (a secret). | |
A Brazilian company outed the new mobile phone design. | |
24. v. (intransitive, archaic) To come or go out; to get out or away; to become public. | |
25. v. To become apparent. | |
26. adj. Not at home; not at one's office or place of employment. | |
I'm sorry, Mr Smith is out at the moment. | |
27. adj. Released, available for purchase, download or other use. | |
Did you hear? Their newest CD is out! | |
28. adj. (in various games; used especially of a batsman or batter in cricket or baseball) Dismissed from play under the rules of the game. | |
He bowls, Johnson pokes at it ... and ... Johnson is out! Caught behind by Ponsonby! | |
29. adj. Openly acknowledging that one is gay or transgender. | |
It's no big deal to be out in the entertainment business. | |
30. adj. (of flowers) In bloom. | |
The garden looks beautiful now that the roses are out. | |
31. adj. (of the sun, moon or stars) Visible in the sky; not obscured by clouds. | |
The sun is out, and it's a lovely day. | |
32. adj. (of lamps, fires etc.) Not shining or burning. | |
I called round to the house but all the lights were out and no one was home. | |
33. adj. (of ideas, plans, etc.) Discarded; no longer a possibility. | |
Right, so that idea's out. Let's move on to the next one. | |
34. adj. No longer popular or in fashion. | |
Black is out this season. The new black is white. | |
35. adj. Without; no longer in possession of; not having more | |
Do you have any bread? Sorry, we're out. | |
36. adj. (of calculations or measurements) Containing errors or discrepancies; in error by a stated amount. | |
Nothing adds up in this report. All these figures are out. | |
The measurement was out by three millimetres. | |
37. adj. (obsolete) Of a young lady: having entered society and available to be courted. | |
38. interj. (procedure word, especially, military) A radio procedure word meaning that the station is finished with its transmission and does not expect a response. | |
Destruction. Two T-72s destroyed. Three foot mobiles down. Out. | |
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. | |
particulars |
1. n. plural of particular | |
2. n. The details or specifics of something. | |
The overall plan is well understood, but we still have to work out the particulars. | |
particular |
1. adj. (also non-comparable) | |
2. adj. (obsolete) Pertaining only to a part of something; partial. | |
3. adj. Specific; discrete; concrete. | |
I couldn't find the particular model you asked for, but I hope this one will do. | |
We knew it was named after John Smith, but nobody knows which particular John Smith. | |
4. adj. Specialised; characteristic of a specific person or thing. | |
I don't appreciate your particular brand of cynicism. | |
5. adj. (obsolete) Known only to an individual person or group; confidential. | |
6. adj. Distinguished in some way; special (often in negative constructions). | |
My five favorite places are, in no particular order, New York, Chicago, Paris, San Francisco and London. | |
I didn't have any particular interest in the book. | |
He brought no particular news. | |
She was the particular belle of the party. | |
7. adj. (comparable) Of a person, concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; precise; fastidious. | |
He is very particular about his food and if it isn't cooked to perfection he will send it back. | |
Women are more particular about their appearance. | |
8. adj. Concerned with, or attentive to, details; minute; circumstantial; precise. | |
a full and particular account of an accident | |
9. adj. (legal) Containing a part only; limited. | |
a particular estate, or one precedent to an estate in remainder | |
10. adj. (legal) Holding a particular estate. | |
a particular tenant | |
11. adj. (logic) Forming a part of a genus; relatively limited in extension; affirmed or denied of a part of a subject. | |
a particular proposition, opposed to "universal", e.g. (particular affirmative) "Some men are wise"; (particular negative) "Some men are not wise". | |
12. n. A small individual part of something larger; a detail, a point. | |
13. n. (obsolete) A person's own individual case. | |
14. n. (now philosophy, chiefly in plural) A particular case; an individual thing as opposed to a whole class. (Opposed to generals, universals.) | |