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 | |
extinguish |
1. v. to put out, as in fire; to end burning; to quench | |
2. v. to destroy or abolish something | |
She extinguished all my hopes. | |
3. v. to obscure or eclipse something | |
The rays of the sun were extinguished by the thunder clouds. | |
4. v. (transitive, psychology) to bring about the extinction of a conditioned reflex | |
Many patients can extinguish their phobias after a few months of treatment. | |
5. v. (transitive, literally) to hunt down (a species) to extinction | |
6. v. (intransitive) To die out. | |
a |
1. art. One; any indefinite example of; used to denote a singular item of a group. | |
There was a man here looking for you yesterday. | |
2. art. Used in conjunction with the adjectives score, dozen, hundred, thousand, and million, as a function word. | |
I've seen it happen a hundred times. | |
3. art. One certain or particular; any single.Brown, Lesley, (2003) | |
We've received an interesting letter from a Mrs. Miggins of London. | |
4. art. The same; one. | |
We are of a mind on matters of morals. | |
5. art. Any, every; used before a noun which has become modified to limit its scope; also used with a negative to indicate not a single one.Lindberg, Christine A. (2007) | |
A man who dies intestate leaves his children troubles and difficulties. | |
He fell all that way, and hasn't a bump on his head? | |
6. art. Used before plural nouns modified by few, good many, couple, great many, etc. | |
7. art. Someone or something like; similar to; Used before a proper noun to create an example out of it. | |
The center of the village was becoming a Times Square. | |
8. prep. (archaic) To do with position or direction; In, on, at, by, towards, onto. | |
Stand a tiptoe. | |
9. prep. To do with separation; In, into. | |
Torn a pieces. | |
10. prep. To do with time; Each, per, in, on, by. | |
I brush my teeth twice a day. | |
11. prep. (obsolete) To do with method; In, with. | |
12. prep. (obsolete) To do with role or capacity; In. | |
A God’s name. | |
13. prep. To do with status; In. | |
King James Bible (II Chronicles 2:18) | |
To set the people a worke. | |
14. prep. (archaic) To do with process, with a passive verb; In the course of, experiencing. | |
1964, Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’ | |
The times, they are a-changin'. | |
15. prep. (archaic) To do with an action, an active verb; Engaged in. | |
1611, King James Bible, Hebrews 11-21 | |
Jacob, when he was a dying | |
16. prep. (archaic) To do with an action/movement; To, into. | |
17. v. (archaic, or slang) Have. | |
I'd a come, if you'd a asked. | |
18. pron. (obsolete, outside, England, and Scotland dialects) He. | |
19. interj. A meaningless syllable; ah. | |
20. prep. (archaic, slang) Of. | |
The name of John a Gaunt. | |
21. adv. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
22. adj. (chiefly Scotland) All. | |
candle |
1. n. A light source consisting of a wick embedded in a solid, flammable substance such as wax, tallow, or paraffin. | |
2. n. The protruding, removable portion of a filter, particularly a water filter. | |
3. n. (obsolete) A unit of luminous intensity, now replaced by the SI unit candela. | |
4. n. (forestry) A fast-growing, light-colored, upward-growing shoot on a pine tree in the spring. As growth slows in summer, the shoot darkens and is no longer conspicuous. | |
5. v. (embryology, transitive) To observe the growth of an embryo inside (an egg), using a bright light source. | |
6. v. (pottery) To dry greenware prior to beginning of the firing cycle, setting the kiln at 200° Celsius until all water is removed from the greenware. | |
7. v. To check an item (such as an envelope) by holding it between a light source and the eye. | |
or |
1. conj. Connects at least two alternative words, phrases, clauses, sentences, etc. each of which could make a passage true. In English, this is the "inclusive or." The "exclusive or" is formed by "either(...) | |
In Ohio, anyone under the age of 18 who wants a tattoo or body piercing needs the consent of a parent or guardian. | |
He might get cancer, or be hit by a bus, or God knows what. | |
2. conj. (logic) An operator denoting the disjunction of two propositions or truth values. There are two forms, the inclusive or and the exclusive or. | |
3. conj. Counts the elements before and after as two possibilities. | |
4. conj. Otherwise (a consequence of the condition that the previous is false). | |
It's raining! Come inside or you'll catch a cold! | |
5. conj. Connects two equivalent names. | |
The country Myanmar, or Burma | |
6. n. (logic, electronics) alternative form of OR | |
7. n. (tincture) The gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms. | |
8. adj. (tincture) Of gold or yellow tincture on a coat of arms. | |
9. adv. (obsolete) Early (on). | |
10. adv. (obsolete) Earlier, previously. | |
11. prep. (now archaic, or dialect) Before; ere. | |
oil |
1. n. Liquid fat. | |
2. n. Petroleum-based liquid used as fuel or lubricant. | |
3. n. An oil painting. | |
4. v. To lubricate with oil. | |
5. v. To grease with oil for cooking. | |
lamp |
1. n. A device that generates heat, light or other radiation. Especially an electric light bulb. | |
2. n. A device containing oil, burnt through a wick for illumination; an oil lamp. | |
3. n. A piece of furniture holding one or more electric light sockets. | |
4. v. (slang) To hit, clout, belt, wallop. | |
5. v. To hunt at night using a lamp; see lamping. | |
6. v. (slang) To hang out or chill; to do nothing in particular. | |
flame |
1. n. The visible part of fire; a stream of burning vapour or gas, emitting light and heat. | |
2. n. A romantic partner or lover in a usually short-lived but passionate affair. | |
3. n. (Internet) Intentionally insulting criticism or remark meant to incite anger. | |
4. n. A brilliant reddish orange-gold fiery colour. (color panel, E82D14) | |
5. n. (music, chiefly lutherie) The contrasting light and dark figure seen in wood used for stringed instrument making; the curl. | |
The cello has a two-piece back with a beautiful narrow flame. | |
6. n. Burning zeal, passion, imagination, excitement, or anger. | |
7. v. To produce flames; to burn with a flame or blaze. | |
8. v. To burst forth like flame; to break out in violence of passion; to be kindled with zeal or ardour. | |
9. v. (Internet, ambitransitive) To post a destructively critical or abusive message (to somebody). | |
I flamed him for spamming in my favourite newsgroup. | |
10. adj. Of a brilliant reddish orange-gold colour, like that of a flame. | |
by |
1. prep. Near or next to. | |
The mailbox is by the bus stop. | |
2. prep. At some time before (the given time), or before the end of a given time interval. | |
Be back by ten o'clock! We will send it by the first week of July. | |
3. prep. Indicates the actor in a clause with its verb in the passive voice: Through the action or presence of. | |
The matter was decided by the chairman. The boat was swamped by the water. He was protected by his body armour. | |
4. prep. Indicates the creator of a work: Existing through the authorship etc. of. | |
There are many well-known plays by William Shakespeare | |
5. prep. Indicates the cause of a condition or event: Through the action of, caused by, responsibility for; by dint of. | |
6. prep. Indicates a means: Involving/using the means of. | |
I avoided the guards by moving only when they weren't looking. | |
7. prep. Indicates a source of light used as illumination. | |
The electricity was cut off, so we had to read by candlelight. | |
8. prep. Indicates an authority, rule, or permission followed. | |
I sorted the items by category. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife. | |
9. prep. Indicates the amount of some progression: With a change of. | |
Our stock is up by ten percent. | |
10. prep. In the formulae X by X and by Xs, indicates a steady progression, one X after another. | |
We went through the book page by page. We crawled forward by inches. | |
11. prep. Indicates a referenced source: According to. | |
He cheated by his own admission. | |
12. prep. Indicates an oath: With the authority of. | |
By Jove! I think she's got it! By all that is holy, I'll put an end to this. | |
13. prep. Used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something. | |
It is easy to invert a 2-by-2 matrix. The room was about 4 foot by 6 foot. The bricks used to build the wall measured 10 by 20 by 30 cm. | |
14. prep. (horse breeding) Designates a horse's male parent (sire); cf. out of. | |
She's a lovely little filly, by Big Lad, out of Damsel in Distress. | |
15. adv. Along a path which runs by the speaker. | |
I watched as it passed by. | |
16. adv. In the vicinity, near. | |
There was a shepherd close by. | |
The shop is hard by the High Street. | |
17. adv. To or at a place, as a residence or place of business. | |
I'll stop by on my way home from work. | |
We're right near the lifeguard station. Come by before you leave. | |
18. adv. Aside, away. | |
The women spent much time after harvest putting jams by for winter and spring. | |
19. adj. Out of the way, subsidiary. | |
20. n. (card games) A pass | |
21. interj. alternative spelling of bye | |
covering |
1. n. That which covers something. | |
2. n. Action of the verb to cover. | |
3. v. present participle of cover | |
cover |
1. n. A lid. | |
2. n. Area or situation which screens a person or thing from view. | |
We didn't see John because he had taken cover behind the wing chair. | |
3. n. The front and back of a book, magazine, CD package, etc. | |
4. n. The top sheet of a bed. | |
5. n. A cloth, usually fitted, placed over an item such as a car or sofa to protect it from dust, rain, etc. when not in use. | |
6. n. A cover charge. | |
There's a $15 cover tonight. | |
7. n. A setting at a restaurant table or formal dinner. | |
We need to set another cover for the Smith party. | |
8. n. (music) A rerecording of a previously recorded song; a cover version; a cover song. | |
9. n. (cricket) A fielding position on the off side, between point and mid off, about 30° forward of square; a fielder in this position. | |
10. n. (topology) A set (more often known as a family) of sets, whose union contains the given set. | |
The open intervals are a cover for the real numbers. | |
11. n. (philately) An envelope complete with stamps and postmarks etc. | |
12. n. (military) A solid object, including terrain, that provides protection from enemy fire. | |
13. n. (legal) In commercial law, a buyer’s purchase on the open market of goods similar or identical to the goods contracted for after a seller has breached a contract of sale by failure to deliver the good | |
14. n. (insurance) An insurance contract; coverage by an insurance contract. | |
15. n. (espionage) A persona maintained by a spy or undercover operative, cover story | |
16. n. The portion of a slate, tile, or shingle that is hidden by the overlap of the course above. | |
17. n. In a steam engine, the lap of a slide valve. | |
18. n. (construction) The distance between reinforcing steel and the exterior of concrete. | |
19. adj. Of or pertaining to the front cover of a book or magazine. | |
20. adj. (music) Of, pertaining to, or consisting of cover versions. | |
21. v. To place something over or upon, as to conceal or protect. | |
He covered the baby with a blanket. | |
When the pot comes to a boil, cover it and reduce the heat to medium. | |
22. v. To be over or upon, as to conceal or protect. | |
The blanket covered the baby. | |
23. v. To be upon all of, so as to completely conceal. | |
Regular hexagons can cover the plane. | |
24. v. To set upon all of, so as to completely conceal. | |
You can cover the plane with regular hexagons. | |
25. v. To invest (oneself with something); to bring upon (oneself). | |
The heroic soldier covered himself with glory. | |
26. v. (of a publication) To discuss thoroughly; to provide coverage of. | |
The magazine covers such diverse topics as politics, news from the world of science, and the economy. | |
27. v. To deal with or include someone or something. | |
28. v. To be enough money for. | |
We've earned enough to cover most of our costs. | |
Ten dollars should cover lunch. | |
29. v. (intransitive) To act as a replacement. | |
I need to take off Tuesday. Can you cover for me? | |
30. v. To have as an assignment or responsibility. | |
Can you cover the morning shift tomorrow? I'll give you off next Monday instead. | |
He is our salesman covering companies with headquarters in the northern provinces. | |
31. v. (music) To make a cover version of (a song that was originally recorded by another artist). | |
32. v. (military, law enforcement) To protect using an aimed firearm and the threat of firing; or to protect using continuous, heaving fire at or in the direction of the enemy so as to force the enemy to rem | |
33. v. To provide insurance coverage for. | |
Does my policy cover accidental loss? | |
34. v. To copulate with (said of certain male animals such as dogs and horses). | |
I would like to have my bitch covered next spring. | |
The stallion has not covered the mare yet. | |
35. v. (chess, transitive) To protect or control (a piece or square). | |
In order to checkmate a king on the side of the board, the five squares adjacent to the king must all be covered. | |
36. v. To extend over a given period of time or range, to occupy, to stretch over a given area. | |
37. v. (sports) To defend a particular player or area. | |
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. | |
burning |
1. v. present participle of burn | |
2. adj. So hot as to seem to burn (something). | |
the burning sun | |
3. adj. Feeling very hot. | |
burning skin | |
4. adj. Feeling great passion. | |
her burning heart | |
5. adj. Consuming; intense; inflaming; exciting; vehement; powerful. | |
burning zeal | |
6. adj. Being keenly discussed. | |
a burning question; a burning issue | |
7. n. The act by which something burns or is burned. | |
8. n. A fire. | |
The burnings continued all day. | |
burn |
1. n. A physical injury caused by heat, cold, electricity, radiation or caustic chemicals. | |
She had second-degree burns from falling in the bonfire. | |
2. n. A sensation resembling such an injury. | |
chili burn from eating hot peppers | |
3. n. The act of burning something. | |
They're doing a controlled burn of the fields. | |
4. n. (slang) An intense non-physical sting, as left by shame or an effective insult. | |
5. n. (slang) An effective insult, often in the expression sick burn (excellent or badass insult). | |
6. n. Physical sensation in the muscles following strenuous exercise, caused by build-up of lactic acid. | |
One and, two and, keep moving; feel the burn! | |
7. n. (chiefly prison slang) tobacco | |
8. n. The operation or result of burning or baking, as in brickmaking. | |
They have a good burn. | |
9. n. A disease in vegetables; brand. | |
10. v. To cause to be consumed by fire. | |
He burned his manuscript in the fireplace. | |
11. v. (intransitive) To be consumed by fire, or in flames. | |
He watched the house burn. | |
12. v. To overheat so as to make unusable. | |
He burned the toast. The blacksmith burned the steel. | |
13. v. (intransitive) To become overheated to the point of being unusable. | |
The grill was too hot and the steak burned. | |
14. v. To make or produce by the application of fire or burning heat. | |
to burn a hole; to burn letters into a block | |
15. v. To injure (a person or animal) with heat or chemicals that produce similar damage. | |
She burned the child with an iron, and was jailed for ten years. | |
16. v. (transitive, surgery) To cauterize. | |
17. v. To sunburn. | |
She forgot to put on sunscreen and burned. | |
18. v. To consume, injure, or change the condition of, as if by action of fire or heat; to affect as fire or heat does. | |
to burn the mouth with pepper | |
19. v. (intransitive) To be hot, e.g. due to embarrassment. | |
The child's forehead was burning with fever. Her cheeks burned with shame. | |
20. v. (chemistry, transitive) To cause to combine with oxygen or other active agent, with evolution of heat; to consume; to oxidize. | |
A human being burns a certain amount of carbon at each respiration. to burn iron in oxygen | |
21. v. (chemistry, dated) To combine energetically, with evolution of heat. | |
Copper burns in chlorine. | |
22. v. (transitive, computing) To write data to a permanent storage medium like a compact disc or a ROM chip. | |
We’ll burn this program onto an EEPROM one hour before the demo begins. | |
23. v. (transitive, slang) To betray. | |
The informant burned him. | |
24. v. (transitive, slang) To insult or defeat. | |
I just burned you again. | |
25. v. To waste (time); to waste money or other resources. | |
We have an hour to burn. | |
The company has burned more than a million dollars a month this year. | |
26. v. In certain games, to approach near to a concealed object which is sought. | |
You're cold... warm... hot... you're burning! | |
27. v. (intransitive, curling) To accidentally touch a moving stone. | |
28. v. (transitive, cards) In pontoon, to swap a pair of cards for another pair, or to deal a dead card. | |
29. v. (photography) To increase the exposure for certain areas of a print in order to make them lighter (compare dodge). | |
30. v. (intransitive, physics, of an element) To be converted to another element in a nuclear fusion reaction, especially in a star | |
31. v. (intransitive, slang) To discard. | |
32. n. (Scotland, northern England) A stream. | |
End |
1. n. A key that when pressed causes the cursor to go to the last character of the current line. | |
2. n. The terminal point of something in space or time. | |
At the end of the road, turn left. | |
At the end of the story, the main characters fall in love. | |
3. n. (by extension) (euphemistic) The cessation of an effort, activity, state, or motion. | |
Is there no end to this madness? | |
4. n. (by extension) Death, especially miserable. | |
He met a terrible end in the jungle. | |
I hope the end comes quickly. | |
5. n. The most extreme point of an object, especially one that is longer than it is wide. | |
Hold the string at both ends. | |
My father always sat at the end of the table. | |
6. n. Result. | |
7. n. A purpose, goal, or aim. | |
8. n. (cricket) One of the two parts of the ground used as a descriptive name for half of the ground. | |
The Pavillion End | |
9. n. (American football) The position at the end of either the offensive or defensive line, a tight end, a split end, a defensive end. | |
10. n. (curling) A period of play in which each team throws eight rocks, two per player, in alternating fashion. | |
11. n. (mathematics) An ideal point of a graph or other complex. | |
12. n. That which is left; a remnant; a fragment; a scrap. | |
odds and ends | |
13. n. One of the yarns of the worsted warp in a Brussels carpet. | |
14. v. To finish, terminate. | |
Is this movie never going to end? | |
The lesson will end when the bell rings. | |
The referee blew the whistle to end the game. | |
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. | |
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. | |
wick |
1. n. A bundle, twist, braid, or woven strip of cord, fabric, fibre/fiber, or other porous material in a candle, oil lamp, kerosene heater, or the like, that draws up liquid fuel, such as melted tallow, wax | |
Trim the wick fairly short, so that the flame does not smoke. | |
2. n. Any piece of porous material that conveys liquid by capillary action, such as a strip of gauze placed in a wound to serve as a drain. | |
3. n. (curling) A narrow opening in the field, flanked by other players' stones. | |
4. n. (curling) A shot where the played stone touches a stationary stone just enough that the played stone changes direction. | |
5. n. (slang) The penis. | |
6. v. To convey or draw off (liquid) by capillary action. | |
The fabric wicks perspiration away from the body. | |
7. v. (intransitive, of a liquid) To traverse (i.e. be conveyed by capillary action) through a wick or other porous material, as water through a sponge. Usually followed by through. | |
The moisture slowly wicked through the wood. | |
8. v. (curling) To strike (a stone) obliquely; to strike (a stationary stone) just enough that the played stone changes direction. | |
9. n. (archaic) A village; hamlet; castle; dwelling; street; creek; bay; harbour; a place of work, jurisdiction, or exercise of authority. | |
10. n. (UK, dialect, chiefly East Anglia, and Essex) A farm, especially a dairy farm. | |
11. adj. (UK, dialect, chiefly Yorkshire) Alive; lively; full of life; active; bustling; nimble; quick. | |
as wick as an eel | |
T' wickest young chap at ivver Ah seen. | |
He's a strange wick bairn alus runnin' aboot. | |
I'll skin ye wick! (skin you alive) | |
I thowt they was dead last back end but they're wick enif noo. | |
"Are you afraid of going across the churchyard in the dark?" "Lor' bless yer noä miss! It isn't dead uns I'm scar'd on, it's wick uns.". | |
I'll swop wi' him my poor dead horse for his wick. — Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England, page 210 | |
12. n. (UK, dialect, chiefly Yorkshire) Liveliness; life. | |
I niver knew such an a thing afore in all my wick. — Ashby, 12 July 1875 | |
13. n. (UK, dialect, chiefly Yorkshire) The growing part of a plant nearest to the roots. | |
Fed close? Why, it's eaten into t' hard wick. (spoken of a pasture which has been fed very close) | |
14. n. (UK, dialect, chiefly Yorkshire) A maggot. | |
15. n. (now dialectal) A corner of the mouth or eye. | |
until |
1. prep. Up to the time of (something happening). | |
2. prep. Before (a time). | |
3. prep. (obsolete) To; physically towards. | |
4. conj. Up to the time that (a condition becomes true). | |
5. conj. Before (a condition becoming true). | |
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. | |
flame |
1. n. The visible part of fire; a stream of burning vapour or gas, emitting light and heat. | |
2. n. A romantic partner or lover in a usually short-lived but passionate affair. | |
3. n. (Internet) Intentionally insulting criticism or remark meant to incite anger. | |
4. n. A brilliant reddish orange-gold fiery colour. (color panel, E82D14) | |
5. n. (music, chiefly lutherie) The contrasting light and dark figure seen in wood used for stringed instrument making; the curl. | |
The cello has a two-piece back with a beautiful narrow flame. | |
6. n. Burning zeal, passion, imagination, excitement, or anger. | |
7. v. To produce flames; to burn with a flame or blaze. | |
8. v. To burst forth like flame; to break out in violence of passion; to be kindled with zeal or ardour. | |
9. v. (Internet, ambitransitive) To post a destructively critical or abusive message (to somebody). | |
I flamed him for spamming in my favourite newsgroup. | |
10. adj. Of a brilliant reddish orange-gold colour, like that of a flame. | |
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? | |
suffocated |
1. v. simple past tense and past participle of suffocate | |
2. adj. Having died as a result of suffocation. | |
suffocate |
1. v. To suffer, or cause someone to suffer, from severely reduced oxygen intake to the body. | |
Open the hatch, he is suffocating in the airlock! | |
2. v. To die due to, or kill someone by means of, insufficient oxygen supply to the body. | |
He suffocated his wife by holding a pillow over her head. | |
3. v. (ergative, figuratively) To overwhelm, or be overwhelmed (by a person or issue), as though with oxygen deprivation. | |
I'm suffocating under this huge workload. | |
4. v. To destroy; to extinguish. | |
to suffocate fire | |
5. adj. (obsolete) Suffocated; choked. | |