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 | |
play |
1. v. (intransitive) To act in a manner such that one has fun; to engage in activities expressly for the purpose of recreation or entertainment. | |
They played long and hard. | |
2. v. To perform in (a sport); to participate in (a game). | |
He plays on three teams. Who's playing now? play football; play sports; play games | |
3. v. To compete against, in a game. | |
4. v. (in the scoring of games and sports) To be the opposing score to. | |
Look at the score now ... 23 plays 8! | |
5. v. (intransitive) To take part in amorous activity; to make love, fornicate; to have sex. | |
6. v. To act as the indicated role, especially in a performance. | |
He plays the King, and she's the Queen. No part of the brain plays the role of permanent memory. | |
7. v. (heading, transitive, intransitive) To produce music or theatre. | |
8. v. (intransitive, of a musical instrument) To produce music. | |
9. v. (intransitive, especially, of a person) To produce music using a musical instrument. | |
I've practiced the piano off and on, but I still can't play very well. | |
10. v. (transitive, especially, of a person) To produce music (or a specified song or musical style) using (a specified musical instrument). | |
I'll play the piano and you sing. Can you play an instrument? We especially like to play jazz together. Play a song for me.&ems | |
11. v. (transitive, ergative) To use a device to watch or listen to the indicated recording. | |
You can play the DVD now. | |
12. v. (intransitive, of a theatrical performance) To be performed; (or of a, film) to be shown. | |
His latest film is playing in the local theatre tomorrow. | |
13. v. (transitive, of a theatrical company, or band, etc.) To perform in or at; to give performances in or at. | |
14. v. To act or perform (a play). | |
to play a comedy | |
15. v. To behave in a particular way.: | |
16. v. (copulative) Contrary to fact, to give an appearance of being. | |
17. v. (intransitive) To act with levity or thoughtlessness; to trifle; to be careless. | |
18. v. (intransitive) To act; to behave; to practice deception. | |
19. v. To bring into sportive or wanton action; to exhibit in action; to execute. | |
to play tricks | |
20. v. (intransitive) To move in any manner; especially, to move regularly with alternate or reciprocating motion; to operate. | |
The fountain plays. | |
21. v. (intransitive) To move gaily; to disport. | |
22. v. To put in action or motion. | |
to play cannon upon a fortification; to play a trump in a card game | |
23. v. To keep in play, as a hooked fish, in order to land it. | |
24. v. (transitive, colloquial) To manipulate, deceive, or swindle someone. | |
You played me! | |
25. n. (formerly ) Activity for amusement only, especially among the young. | |
26. n. Similar activity, in young animals, as they explore their environment and learn new skills. | |
27. n. (ethology) "Repeated, incompletely functional behavior differing from more serious versions ..., and initiated voluntarily when ... in a low-stress setting.". | |
28. n. The conduct, or course of a game. | |
29. n. An individual's performance in a sport or game. | |
30. n. (turn-based games) An action carried out when it is one's turn to play. | |
31. n. A literary composition, intended to be represented by actors impersonating the characters and speaking the dialogue. | |
32. n. A theatrical performance featuring actors. | |
We saw a two-act play in the theatre. | |
33. n. A major move by a business. | |
34. n. A geological formation that contains an accumulation or prospect of hydrocarbons or other resources. | |
35. n. The extent to which a part of a mechanism can move freely. | |
No wonder the fanbelt is slipping: there’s too much play in it. | |
Too much play in a steering wheel may be dangerous. | |
36. n. (informal) Sexual activity or sexual role-playing. | |
37. n. (archaic, now usually in compounds) Activity relating to martial combat or fighting. | |
handplay, swordplay | |
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. | |
sycophant |
1. n. One who uses obsequious compliments to gain self-serving favor or advantage from another; a servile flatterer. | |
2. n. One who seeks to gain through the powerful and influential. | |
3. n. (obsolete) An informer; a talebearer. | |
4. v. To inform against; hence, to calumniate. | |
5. v. To play the sycophant toward; to flatter obsequiously. | |
toward |
1. prep. In the direction of. | |
She moved toward the door. | |
2. prep. In relation to (someone or something). | |
What are your feelings toward him? | |
3. prep. For the purpose of attaining (an aim). | |
I'm saving money toward retirement. | |
4. prep. Located close to; near (a time or place). | |
Our place is over toward the station. | |
5. adj. Yielding, pliant; docile; ready or apt to learn; not froward. | |
6. adj. (obsolete) Future; to come. | |
7. adj. (dated) Approaching, coming near; impending; present, at hand. | |
8. adj. (obsolete, or archaic) Promising, likely. | |
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 | |
flatter |
1. n. A type of set tool used by blacksmiths. | |
2. n. A flat-faced fulling hammer. | |
3. n. A drawplate with a narrow, rectangular orifice, for drawing flat strips such as watch springs. | |
4. n. Someone who flattens, purposely or accidently. Also flattener. | |
5. n. (UK, NZ, slang) Someone who lives in a rented flat. | |
6. adj. comparative form of flat: more flat | |
7. v. To compliment someone, often insincerely and sometimes to win favour. | |
8. v. To enhance someone's vanity by praising them. | |
9. v. To portray someone to advantage. | |
Her portrait flatters her. | |
10. v. To encourage or cheer someone with (usually false) hope. | |
obsequiously |
1. adv. in an obsequious manner | |