both |
1. det. Each of the two; one and the other; referring to two individuals or items. | |
"Did you want this one or that one?" — "Give me both.". | |
Both children are such dolls. | |
2. det. Each of the two kinds; one and the other kind; referring to several individuals or items which are divided into two groups. | |
3. conj. Including both of (used with and). | |
Both you and I are students. | |
4. conj. (obsolete) Including all of (used with and). | |
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. | |
Us |
1. n. plural of U | |
2. pron. (personal) Me and at least one other person; the objective case of we. | |
3. pron. (colloquial) Me. | |
Give us a look at your paper. | |
Give us your wallet! | |
4. pron. (Northern England) Our. | |
We'll have to throw us food out. | |
5. det. The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person. | |
It's not good enough for us teachers. | |
6. n. plural of u | |
have |
Additional archaic forms are second-person singular present tense hast, third-person singular present tense hath, present participle haveing, and second-person singular past tense hadst. | |
1. v. To possess, own, hold. | |
I have a house and a car. | |
Look what I have here — a frog I found on the street! | |
2. v. To be related in some way to (with the object identifying the relationship). | |
I have two sisters. | |
I have a lot of work to do. | |
3. v. To partake of a particular substance (especially a food or drink) or action. | |
I have breakfast at six o'clock. | |
Can I have a look at that? | |
I'm going to have some pizza and a beer right now. | |
4. v. To be scheduled to attend or participate in. | |
What class do you have right now? I have English. | |
Fred won't be able to come to the party; he has a meeting that day. | |
5. v. (auxiliary verb, taking a past participle) (Used in forming the perfect aspect and the past perfect aspect.) | |
I have already eaten today. | |
I had already eaten. | |
6. v. (auxiliary verb, taking a to-infinitive) See have to. | |
I have to go. | |
7. v. To give birth to. | |
The couple always wanted to have children. | |
My wife is having the baby right now! | |
My mother had me when she was 25. | |
8. v. To engage in sexual intercourse with. | |
He's always bragging about how many women he's had. | |
9. v. To accept as a romantic partner. | |
Despite my protestations of love, she would not have me. | |
10. v. (transitive with bare infinitive) To cause to, by a command, request or invitation. | |
They had me feed their dog while they were out of town. | |
11. v. (transitive with adjective or adjective-phrase complement) To cause to be. | |
He had him arrested for trespassing. | |
The lecture's ending had the entire audience in tears. | |
12. v. (transitive with bare infinitive) To be affected by an occurrence. (Used in supplying a topic that is not a verb argument.) | |
The hospital had several patients contract pneumonia last week. | |
I've had three people today tell me my hair looks nice. | |
13. v. (transitive with adjective or adjective-phrase complement) To depict as being. | |
Their stories differed; he said he'd been at work when the incident occurred, but her statement had him at home that entire evening. | |
14. v. (Used as interrogative auxiliary verb with a following pronoun to form tag questions. (For further discussion, see "Usage notes" below.)) | |
We haven't eaten dinner yet, have we? | |
Your wife hasn't been reading that nonsense, has she? | |
(UK usage) He has some money, hasn't he? | |
15. v. (UK, slang) To defeat in a fight; take. | |
I could have him! | |
I'm gonna have you! | |
16. v. (dated) To be able to speak a language. | |
I have no German. | |
17. v. To feel or be (especially painfully) aware of. | |
Dan certainly has arms today, probably from scraping paint off four columns the day before. | |
18. v. To be afflicted with, suffer from. | |
He had a cold last week. | |
19. v. To experience, go through, undergo. | |
We had a hard year last year, with the locust swarms and all that. | |
He had surgery on his hip yesterday. | |
I'm having the time of my life! | |
20. v. To trick, to deceive. | |
You had me alright! I never would have thought that was just a joke. | |
21. v. (transitive, often with present participle) To allow; to tolerate. | |
The child screamed incessantly for his mother to buy him a toy, but she wasn't having any of it. | |
I asked my dad if I could go to the concert this Thursday, but he wouldn't have it since it's a school night. | |
22. v. (transitive, often used in the negative) To believe, buy, be taken in by. | |
I made up an excuse as to why I was out so late, but my wife wasn't having any of it. | |
23. v. To host someone; to take in as a guest. | |
Thank you for having me! | |
24. v. To get a reading, measurement, or result from an instrument or calculation. | |
What do you have for problem two? | |
I have two contacts on my scope. | |
25. v. (transitive, of a jury) To consider a court proceeding that has been completed; to begin deliberations on a case. | |
We'll schedule closing arguments for Thursday, and the jury will have the case by that afternoon. | |
26. n. A wealthy or privileged person. | |
27. n. (uncommon) One who has some (contextually specified) thing. | |
28. n. (AU, NZ, informal) A fraud or deception; something misleading. | |
They advertise it as a great deal, but I think it's a bit of a have. | |
got |
1. v. simple past tense of get | |
We got the last bus home. | |
2. v. (British, Australian, NZ) past participle of get | |
By that time we'd got very cold. | |
I've got two children. | |
How many children have you got? | |
3. v. Expressing obligation. | |
I can't go out tonight, I've got to study for my exams. | |
4. v. (Southern US, with to) must; have (to). | |
I got to go study. | |
5. v. (Southern US, slang) have | |
They got a new car. | |
He got a lot of nerve. | |
6. v. (Southern US, AAVE, euphemistic, slang) to be murdered | |
He got got. | |
get |
1. v. (ditransitive) To obtain; to acquire. | |
I'm going to get a computer tomorrow from the discount store. | |
Lance is going to get Mary a ring. | |
2. v. To receive. | |
I got a computer from my parents for my birthday. | |
You need to get permission to leave early. | |
He got a severe reprimand for that. | |
3. v. (transitive, in a perfect construction, with present-tense meaning) To have. (See usage notes.) | |
I've got a concert ticket for you. | |
4. v. (copulative) To become. | |
I'm getting hungry; how about you? | |
Don't get drunk tonight. | |
5. v. To cause to become; to bring about. | |
That song gets me so depressed every time I hear it. | |
I'll get this finished by lunchtime. | |
I can't get these boots off upright - (or on'upright,). | |
6. v. To fetch, bring, take. | |
Can you get my bag from the living-room, please? | |
I need to get this to the office. | |
7. v. To cause to do. | |
Somehow she got him to agree to it. | |
I can't get it to work. | |
8. v. (intransitive, with various prepositions, such as into, over, or behind; for specific idiomatic senses see individual entries get into, get over, etc.) To adopt, assume, arrive at, or progress towards | |
The actors are getting into position. | |
When are we going to get to London? | |
I'm getting into a muddle. | |
We got behind the wall. | |
9. v. To cover (a certain distance) while travelling. | |
to get a mile | |
10. v. To cause to come or go or move. | |
11. v. To cause to be in a certain status or position. | |
12. v. (intransitive) To begin (doing something). | |
We ought to get moving or we'll be late. | |
After lunch we got chatting. | |
13. v. To take or catch (a scheduled transportation service). | |
I normally get the 7:45 train. | |
I'll get the 9 a.m. flight to Boston. | |
14. v. To respond to (a telephone call, a doorbell, etc). | |
Can you get that call, please? I'm busy. | |
15. v. (intransitive, followed by infinitive) To be able, permitted (to do something); to have the opportunity (to do something). | |
I'm so jealous that you got to see them perform live! | |
The finders get to keep 80 percent of the treasure. | |
16. v. (transitive, informal) To understand. (compare get it) | |
Yeah, I get it, it's just not funny. | |
I don't get what you mean by "fun". This place sucks! | |
I mentioned that I was feeling sad, so she mailed me a box of chocolates. She gets me. | |
17. v. (transitive, informal) To be told; be the recipient of (a question, comparison, opinion, etc.). | |
"You look just like Helen Mirren." / "I get that a lot.". | |
18. v. (informal) To be. Used to form the passive of verbs. | |
He got bitten by a dog. | |
19. v. To become ill with or catch (a disease). | |
I went on holiday and got malaria. | |
20. v. (transitive, informal) To catch out, trick successfully. | |
He keeps calling pretending to be my boss—it gets me every time. | |
21. v. (transitive, informal) To perplex, stump. | |
That question's really got me. | |
22. v. To find as an answer. | |
What did you get for question four? | |
23. v. (transitive, informal) To bring to reckoning; to catch (as a criminal); to effect retribution. | |
The cops finally got me. | |
I'm gonna get him for that. | |
24. v. To hear completely; catch. | |
Sorry, I didn't get that. Could you repeat it? | |
25. v. To getter. | |
I put the getter into the container to get the gases. | |
26. v. (now rare) To beget (of a father). | |
27. v. (archaic) To learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; sometimes with out. | |
to get a lesson; to get out one's Greek lesson | |
28. v. (imperative, informal) Used with a personal pronoun to indicate that someone is being pretentious or grandiose. | |
Get her with her new hairdo. | |
29. v. (informal, mostly, imperative) Go away; get lost. | |
30. v. (euphemism) To kill. | |
They’re coming to get you, Barbara. | |
31. v. (intransitive, obsolete) To make acquisitions; to gain; to profit. | |
32. n. (dated) Offspring. | |
33. n. Lineage. | |
34. n. (sports) A difficult return or block of a shot. | |
35. n. Something gained. | |
36. n. (UK, regional) A git. | |
37. n. (Judaism) A Jewish writ of divorce. | |
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. | |
Thing |
1. n. (chiefly historical) A public assembly or judicial council in a Germanic country. | |
2. n. That which is considered to exist as a separate entity, object, quality or concept. | |
3. n. A word, symbol, sign, or other referent that can be used to refer to any entity. | |
4. n. An individual object or distinct entity. | |
5. n. (informal) Something that is existent or generally recognised. | |
Bacon pie? Is that a thing? | |
6. n. legal | |
7. n. Whatever can be owned. | |
8. n. Corporeal object. | |
9. n. (somewhat dated) The latest fad or fashion. | |
What do you mean you don't twerk, Stacy? It's the latest thing! | |
10. n. (in the plural) Clothes, possessions or equipment. | |
Hold on, let me just grab my things. | |
11. n. (informal) A unit or container, usually containing edible goods. | |
get me a thing of apple juice at the store; I just ate a whole thing of jelly beans | |
12. n. (informal) A problem, dilemma, or complicating factor. | |
The car looks cheap, but the thing is, I have doubts about its safety. | |
13. n. (slang) A penis. | |
14. n. A living being or creature. | |
you poor thing; she's a funny old thing, but her heart's in the right place; I met a pretty blond thing at the bar | |
15. n. That which matters; the crux. | |
that's the thing: we don't know where he went; the thing is, I don't have any money | |
16. n. Used after a noun to refer dismissively to the situation surrounding the noun's referent. | |
Oh yeah, I'm supposed to promote that vision thing. | |
17. n. (informal) That which is favoured; personal preference. (Used in possessive constructions.) | |
18. n. (chiefly historical) A public assembly or judicial council in a Germanic country. | |
19. v. (rare) To express as a thing; to reify. | |
about |
1. prep. In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of. | |
2. prep. Near; not far from; approximately; regarding time, size, quantity. | |
3. prep. On the point or verge of. | |
the show is about to start; I am not about to admit to your crime | |
4. prep. On one's person; nearby the person. | |
5. prep. Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout. | |
6. prep. Concerned with; engaged in; intent on. | |
7. prep. Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of; to affect. | |
He knew more about what was occurring than anyone. | |
8. prep. (figurative) In or near, as in mental faculties or (literally) in possession of; in control of; at one's command; in one's makeup. | |
He has his wits about him. | |
9. prep. In the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place. | |
10. adv. Not distant; approximate. | |
11. adv. On all sides; around. | |
12. adv. Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down. | |
13. adv. Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence, in quality, manner, degree, quantity, or time; almost. | |
about as cold; about as high | |
14. adv. Near; in the vicinity. | |
15. adv. In succession; one after another; in the course of events. | |
16. adv. On the move; active; astir. | |
17. adv. To a reversed order; half round; facing in the opposite direction; from a contrary point of view. | |
to face about; to turn oneself about | |
18. adv. (nautical) To the opposite tack. | |
19. adv. (obsolete) Preparing; planning. | |
20. adv. (archaic) In circuit; circularly; by a circuitous way; around the outside; in circumference. | |
a mile about, and a third of a mile across | |
21. adv. (chiefly North America, colloquial) Going to; on the verge of; intending to. | |
22. adj. Moving around; astir. | |
out and about; up and about | |
After my bout with Guillan-Barre Syndrome, it took me 6 months to be up and about again. | |
23. adj. In existence; being in evidence; apparent | |
islands |
1. n. plural of island | |
2. v. third-person singular present indicative of island | |
island |
1. n. A contiguous area of land, smaller than a continent, totally surrounded by water. | |
2. n. An entity surrounded by other entities that are very different from itself. | |
an island of tranquility (a calm place surrounded by a noisy environment) | |
an island of colour on a butterfly's wing | |
3. n. A superstructure on an aircraft carrier's deck. | |
4. n. A traffic island. | |
the island in the middle of a roundabout | |
5. n. (government) An unincorporated area wholly surrounded by one or more incorporated areas. | |
6. n. (grammar) A phrase from which a wh-word cannot be extracted without yielding invalid grammar. | |
7. v. To surround with water; make into an island. | |
8. v. To set, dot (as if) with islands. | |
9. v. To isolate. | |