| 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. | |
| this |
| 1. det. The (thing) here (used in indicating something or someone nearby). | |
| This classroom is where I learned to read and write. | |
| 2. det. The known (thing) (used in indicating something or someone just mentioned). | |
| They give the appearance of knowing what they're doing. It's this appearance that lets them get away with so much. | |
| 3. det. The known (thing) (used in indicating something or someone about to be mentioned). | |
| When asked what he wanted for his birthday, he gave this reply: “…” | |
| 4. det. A known (thing) (used in first mentioning a person or thing that the speaker does not think is known to the audience). Compare with "a certain ...". | |
| I met this woman the other day who's allergic to wheat. I didn't even know that was possible! | |
| There's just this nervous mannerism that Bob has with his hands, and it drives me crazy. | |
| 5. det. (Of a unit of time) which is current. | |
| It snowed this week. | |
| 6. adv. To the degree or extent indicated. | |
| I need this much water. | |
| We've already come this far, we can't turn back now. | |
| 7. pron. The thing, item, etc. being indicated. | |
| This is the excellent foppery of the world, that, when we are sick in fortune,—often the surfeit of our own behaviour,—we make guilty of our disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars(...) — Sh | |
| 8. n. (philosophy) Something being indicated that is here; one of these. | |
| 9. interj. (Internet slang) Indicates the speaker's strong approval or agreement with the previous material. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| it |
| 1. pron. The third-person singular personal pronoun that is normally used to refer to an inanimate object or abstract entity, also often used to refer to animals. | |
| Put it over there. | |
| Take each day as it comes. | |
| I heard the sound of the school bus - it was early today. | |
| 2. pron. A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to a child, especially of unknown gender. | |
| She took the baby and held it in her arms. | |
| 3. pron. Used to refer to someone being identified, often on the phone, but not limited to this situation. | |
| It's me. John. | |
| Is it her? | |
| 4. pron. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent as the subject of an impersonal verb or statement. (known as the dummy pronoun or weather it) | |
| It is nearly 10 o’clock. | |
| It’s 10:45 read ten-forty-five. | |
| It’s very cold today. | |
| It’s lonely without you. | |
| 5. pron. The impersonal pronoun, used without referent in various short idioms. | |
| stick it out | |
| live it up | |
| rough it | |
| 6. pron. The impersonal pronoun, used as a placeholder for a delayed subject, or less commonly, object; known as the dummy pronoun or, more formally in linguistics, a syntactic expletive. The delayed subject i | |
| It is easy to see how she would think that. (with the infinitive clause headed by to see) | |
| I find it odd that you would say that. (with the noun clause introduced by that) | |
| It is hard seeing you so sick. (with the gerund seeing) | |
| He saw to it that everyone would vote for him. (with the noun clause introduced by that) | |
| It is not clear if the report was true. (with the noun clause introduced by if) | |
| 7. pron. All or the end; something after which there is no more. | |
| Are there more students in this class, or is this it? | |
| That's it—I'm not going to any more candy stores with you. | |
| 8. pron. (chiefly pejorative, offensive) A third-person singular personal pronoun used to refer to an animate referent who is transgender or is neither female nor male. | |
| 9. pron. (obsolete) (Followed by an omitted and understood relative pronoun): That which; what. | |
| 10. det. (obsolete) its | |
| 11. n. One who is neither a he nor a she; a creature; a dehumanized being. | |
| 12. n. The person who chases and tries to catch the other players in the playground game of tag. | |
| In the next game, Adam and Tom will be it… | |
| 13. n. (British) The game of tag. | |
| Let's play it at breaktime. | |
| 14. n. Sex appeal, especially that which goes beyond beauty. | |
| 15. n. (euphemism) Sexual activity. | |
| caught them doing it | |
| 16. adj. (colloquial) Most fashionable. | |
