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 | |
lower |
1. adj. comparative form of low: more low | |
2. adj. bottom; more towards the bottom than the middle of an object | |
3. adj. (geology, of strata or geological time periods) older | |
4. adv. comparative form of low: more low | |
5. v. To let descend by its own weight, as something suspended; to let down | |
lower a bucket into a well | |
to lower a sail of a boat | |
6. v. to pull down | |
to lower a flag | |
7. v. To reduce the height of | |
lower a fence or wall | |
lower a chimney or turret | |
8. v. To depress as to direction | |
lower the aim of a gun | |
9. v. To make less elevated | |
to lower one's ambition, aspirations, or hopes | |
10. v. To reduce the degree, intensity, strength, etc., of | |
lower the temperature | |
lower one's vitality | |
lower distilled liquors | |
11. v. To bring down; to humble | |
lower one's pride | |
12. v. (reflexive) (lower oneself) To humble oneself; to do something one considers to be beneath one's dignity. | |
I could never lower myself enough to buy second-hand clothes. | |
13. v. To reduce (something) in value, amount, etc. | |
lower the price of goods | |
lower the interest rate | |
14. v. (intransitive) To fall; to sink; to grow less; to diminish; to decrease | |
The river lowered as rapidly as it rose. | |
15. v. (intransitive) To decrease in value, amount, etc. | |
16. v. alternative spelling of lour. | |
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. | |
light |
1. n. (physics) Visible electromagnetic radiation. The human eye can typically detect radiation (light) in the wavelength range of about 400 to 750 nanometers. Nearby shorter and longer wavelength ranges, a | |
As you can see, this spacious dining-room gets a lot of light in the mornings. | |
2. n. A source of illumination. | |
Put that light out! | |
3. n. Spiritual or mental illumination; enlightenment, useful information. | |
Can you throw any light on this problem? | |
4. n. (in the now rare) Facts; pieces of information; ideas, concepts. | |
5. n. A notable person within a specific field or discipline. | |
Picasso was one of the leading lights of the cubist movement. | |
6. n. (painting) The manner in which the light strikes a picture; that part of a picture which represents those objects upon which the light is supposed to fall; the more illuminated part of a landscape or | |
7. n. A point of view, or aspect from which a concept, person or thing is regarded. | |
I'm really seeing you in a different light today. | |
Magoon's governorship in Cuba was viewed in a negative light by many Cuban historians for years thereafter. | |
8. n. A flame or something used to create fire. | |
Hey, buddy, you got a light? | |
9. n. A firework made by filling a case with a substance which burns brilliantly with a white or coloured flame. | |
a Bengal light | |
10. n. A window, or space for a window in architecture. | |
This facade has eight south-facing lights. | |
11. n. The series of squares reserved for the answer to a crossword clue. | |
The average length of a light on a 15×15 grid is 7 or 8. | |
12. n. (informal) A cross-light in a double acrostic or triple acrostic. | |
13. n. Open view; a visible state or condition; public observation; publicity. | |
14. n. The power of perception by vision. | |
15. n. The brightness of the eye or eyes. | |
16. n. A traffic light, or, by extension, an intersection controlled by one or more that will face a traveler who is receiving instructions. | |
To get to our house, turn right at the third light. | |
17. v. To start (a fire). | |
We lit the fire to get some heat. | |
18. v. To set fire to; to set burning; to kindle. | |
She lit her last match. | |
19. v. To illuminate. | |
I used my torch to light the way home through the woods in the night. | |
20. v. (intransitive) To become ignited; to take fire. | |
This soggy match will not light. | |
21. v. To attend or conduct with a light; to show the way to by means of a light. | |
22. adj. Having light. | |
The room is light when the Sun shines through the window. | |
23. adj. Pale in colour. | |
She had light skin. | |
24. adj. (of coffee) Served with extra milk or cream. | |
I like my coffee light. | |
25. adj. Of low weight; not heavy. | |
My bag was much lighter once I had dropped off the books. | |
26. adj. Lightly-built; designed for speed or small loads. | |
We took a light aircraft down to the city. | |
27. adj. Gentle; having little force or momentum. | |
This artist clearly had a light, flowing touch. | |
28. adj. Easy to endure or perform. | |
light duties around the house | |
29. adj. Low in fat, calories, alcohol, salt, etc. | |
This light beer still gets you drunk if you have enough of it. | |
30. adj. Unimportant, trivial, having little value or significance. | |
I made some light comment, and we moved on. | |
31. adj. (rail transport, of a locomotive, usually with "run") travelling with no carriages, wagons attached | |
32. adj. (obsolete) Unchaste, wanton. | |
33. adj. Not heavily armed; armed with light weapons. | |
light troops; a troop of light horse | |
34. adj. Not encumbered; unembarrassed; clear of impediments; hence, active; nimble; swift. | |
35. adj. (dated) Easily influenced by trifling considerations; unsteady; unsettled; volatile. | |
a light, vain person; a light mind | |
36. adj. Indulging in, or inclined to, levity; lacking dignity or solemnity; frivolous; airy. | |
Ogden Nash was a writer of light verse. | |
37. adj. Not quite sound or normal; somewhat impaired or deranged; dizzy; giddy. | |
38. adj. Not of the legal, standard, or usual weight; clipped; diminished. | |
light coin | |
39. adj. Easily interrupted by stimulation. | |
light sleep; light anesthesia | |
40. adv. Carrying little. | |
I prefer to travel light. | |
41. n. (curling) A stone that is not thrown hard enough. | |
42. v. (nautical) To unload a ship, or to jettison material to make it lighter | |
43. v. To lighten; to ease of a burden; to take off. | |
44. v. To find by chance. | |
I lit upon a rare book in a second-hand bookseller's. | |
45. v. To stop upon (of eyes or a glance); to notice | |
46. v. (archaic) To alight; to land or come down. | |
She fell out of the window but luckily lit on her feet. | |
beam |
1. n. Any large piece of timber or iron long in proportion to its thickness, and prepared for use. | |
2. n. One of the principal horizontal timbers of a building; one of the transverse members of a ship's frame on which the decks are laid — supported at the sides by knees in wooden ships and by stringers in | |
3. n. (nautical) The maximum width of a vessel. | |
This ship has more beam than that one. | |
4. n. The crossbar of a mechanical balance, from the ends of which the scales are suspended. | |
5. n. The principal stem of the antler of a deer. | |
6. n. (literary) The pole of a carriage or chariot. | |
7. n. (textiles) A cylinder of wood, making part of a loom, on which weavers wind the warp before weaving and the cylinder on which the cloth is rolled, as it is woven. | |
8. n. The straight part or shank of an anchor. | |
9. n. The central bar of a plow, to which the handles and colter are secured, and to the end of which are attached the oxen or horses that draw it. | |
10. n. In steam engines, a heavy iron lever having an oscillating motion on a central axis, one end of which is connected with the piston rod from which it receives motion, and the other with the crank of th | |
11. n. A ray or collection of approximately parallel rays emitted from the sun or other luminous body. | |
a beam of light | |
a beam of energy | |
12. n. (figuratively) A ray; a gleam. | |
a beam of hope, or of comfort | |
13. n. One of the long feathers in the wing of a hawk. | |
14. n. (music) A horizontal bar which connects the stems of two or more notes to group them and to indicate metric value. | |
15. n. (railway) An elevated rectangular dirt pile used to cheaply build an elevated portion of a railway. | |
16. v. To emit beams of light; shine; radiate. | |
to beam forth light | |
17. v. (intransitive, figuratively) To smile broadly or especially cheerfully. | |
18. v. To furnish or supply with beams | |
19. v. To give the appearance of beams to. | |
20. v. (transitive, science fiction) To transmit matter or information via a high-tech wireless mechanism. | |
Beam me up, Scotty; there's no intelligent life down here. | |
The injured crewmembers were immediately beamed to sickbay. | |
21. v. (transitive, currying) To stretch something (for example an animal hide) on a beam. | |
22. v. (transitive, weaving) To put (something) on a beam | |
23. v. (transitive, music) To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music notation. | |