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. | |
silverware |
1. n. Anything made from silver. | |
2. n. Anything with a silvery colour. | |
3. n. (US) Knives, forks and spoons. | |
4. n. (sports) Trophies, success in a competition. | |
that |
1. conj. Introducing a clause which is the subject or object of a verb (such as one involving reported speech), or which is a complement to a previous statement. | |
He told me that the book is a good read. | |
I believe that it is true. — She is convinced that he is British. | |
2. conj. Introducing a subordinate clause expressing a reason or cause: because, in that. | |
Be glad that you have enough to eat. | |
3. conj. (now uncommon) Introducing a subordinate clause that expresses an aim, purpose or goal ("final"), and usually contains the auxiliaries may, might or should: so, so that. | |
4. conj. Introducing — especially, but not exclusively, with an antecedent like so or such — a subordinate clause expressing a result, consequence or effect. | |
The noise was so loud that she woke up. | |
The problem was sufficiently important that it had to be addressed. | |
5. conj. (archaic, or poetic) Introducing a premise or supposition for consideration: seeing as; inasmuch as; given that; as would appear from the fact that. | |
6. conj. Introducing a subordinate clause modifying an adverb. | |
Was John there? — Not that I saw. | |
How often did she visit him? — Twice that I saw. | |
7. conj. Introducing an exclamation expressing a desire or wish. | |
8. conj. Introducing an exclamation expressing a strong emotion such as sadness or surprise. | |
9. det. The (thing, person, idea, etc) indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote physically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction. | |
That book is a good read. This one isn't. | |
That battle was in 1450. | |
That cat of yours is evil. | |
10. pron. (demonstrative) The thing, person, idea, quality, event, action or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "t | |
He went home, and after that I never saw him again. | |
11. pron. The known (thing); (used to refer to something just said). | |
They're getting divorced. What do you think about that? | |
12. pron. (demonstrative) The aforementioned quality; used together with a verb and pronoun to emphatically repeat a previous statement. | |
The water is so cold! — That it is. | |
13. pron. (relative) (plural that) Which, who; (representing a subject, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition). | |
The CPR course that she took really came in handy. | |
The house that he lived in was old and dilapidated. | |
14. pron. (colloquial) (Used in place of relative adverbs such as where or when; often omitted.) | |
the place that = where or to which I went last year | |
the last time that = when I went to Europe | |
15. adv. (degree) To a given extent or degree. | |
"The ribbon was that thin." "I disagree, I say it was not that thin, it was thicker... or maybe thinner...". | |
16. adv. (degree) To a great extent or degree; very, particularly (in negative constructions). | |
I'm just not that sick. | |
I did the run last year, and it wasn't that difficult. | |
17. adv. (obsolete, outside, dialects) To such an extent; so. (in positive constructions). | |
Ooh, I was that happy I nearly kissed her. | |
18. n. (philosophy) Something being indicated that is there; one of those. | |
time |
1. n. The inevitable progression into the future with the passing of present events into the past. | |
Time stops for nobody. the ebb and flow of time | |
2. n. (physics, usually) A dimension of spacetime with the opposite metric signature to space dimensions; the fourth dimension. | |
Both science-fiction writers and physicists have written about travel through time. | |
3. n. (physics) Change associated with the second law of thermodynamics; the physical and psychological result of increasing entropy. | |
Time slows down when you approach the speed of light. | |
4. n. (physics, reductionistic definition) The property of a system which allows it to have more than one distinct configuration. | |
An essential definition of time should entail neither speed nor direction, just change. | |
5. n. A duration of time. | |
6. n. A quantity of availability of duration. | |
More time is needed to complete the project. You had plenty of time, but you waited until the last minute. Are you finish | |
7. n. A measurement of a quantity of time; a numerical or general indication of a length of progression. | |
a long time; Record the individual times for the processes in each batch. Only your best time is compared with the other compet | |
8. n. (slang) The serving of a prison sentence. | |
The judge leniently granted a sentence with no hard time. He is not living at home because he is doing time. | |
9. n. An experience. | |
We had a wonderful time at the party. | |
10. n. An era; (with the, sometimes in plural) the current era, the current state of affairs. | |
Roman times; the time of the dinosaurs | |
11. n. (with possessive) A person's youth or young adulthood, as opposed to the present day. | |
In my time, we respected our elders. | |
12. n. (only in singular, sports) Time out; temporary, limited suspension of play. | |
13. n. An instant of time. | |
14. n. How much of a day has passed; the moment, as indicated by a clock or similar device. | |
Excuse me, have you got the time? What time is it, do you guess? Ten o’clock? A computer keeps time using a clock battery | |
15. n. A particular moment or hour; the appropriate moment or hour for something (especially with prepositional phrase or imperfect subjunctive). | |
it’s time for bed; it’s time to sleep; we must wait for the right time; it's time we were going | |
16. n. A numerical indication of a particular moment. | |
at what times do the trains arrive?; these times were erroneously converted between zones | |
17. n. An instance or occurrence. | |
When was the last time we went out? I don’t remember. | |
see you another time; that’s three times he’s made the same mistake | |
Okay, but this is the last time. No more after that! | |
18. n. (of pubs) Closing time. | |
Last call: it's almost time. | |
19. n. The hour of childbirth. | |
20. n. (as someone's time) The end of someone's life, conceived by the speaker as having been predestined. | |
It was his time. | |
21. n. The measurement under some system of region of day or moment. | |
Let's synchronize our watches so we're not on different time. | |
22. n. Ratio of comparison. | |
your car runs three times faster than mine; that is four times as heavy as this | |
23. n. (grammar, dated) Tense. | |
the time of a verb | |
24. n. (music) The measured duration of sounds; measure; tempo; rate of movement; rhythmical division. | |
common or triple time; the musician keeps good time. | |
25. v. To measure or record the time, duration, or rate of. | |
I used a stopwatch to time myself running around the block. | |
26. v. To choose when something begins or how long it lasts. | |
The President timed his speech badly, coinciding with the Super Bowl. | |
The bomb was timed to explode at 9:20 p.m. | |
27. v. (obsolete) To keep or beat time; to proceed or move in time. | |
28. v. (obsolete) To pass time; to delay. | |
29. v. To regulate as to time; to accompany, or agree with, in time of movement. | |
30. v. To measure, as in music or harmony. | |
31. interj. (tennis) Reminder by the umpire for the players to continue playing after their pause. | |
was |
1. v. first-person singular past of be. | |
2. v. third-person singular past of be. | |
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? | |
nice |
1. adj. (obsolete) Silly, ignorant; foolish. | |
2. adj. (now rare) Particular in one's conduct; scrupulous, painstaking; choosy. | |
3. adj. (obsolete) Particular as regards rules or qualities; strict. | |
4. adj. Showing or requiring great precision or sensitive discernment; subtle. | |
5. adj. (obsolete) Doubtful, as to the outcome; risky. | |
6. adj. Respectable; virtuous. | |
What is a nice person like you doing in a place like this? | |
7. adj. Pleasant, satisfactory. | |
8. adj. Of a person: friendly, attractive. | |
9. adj. With "and", shows that the given adjective is desirable: pleasantly. | |
The soup is nice and hot. | |
10. adv. (colloquial) Nicely. | |
Children, play nice. | |
He dresses real nice. | |
11. interj. Used to signify a job well done. | |
Nice! I couldn't have done better. | |
12. interj. Used to signify approval. | |
Is that your new car? Nice! | |
13. n. niceness. | |
14. v. (transitive, computing, Unix) To run a process with a specified (usually lower) priority. | |