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. | |
nightmare |
1. n. (now rare) A female demon or monster, thought to plague people while they slept and cause a feeling of suffocation and terror during sleep. | |
2. n. A very bad or frightening dream. | |
I had a nightmare that I tried to run but could neither move nor breathe. | |
3. n. (figuratively) Any bad, miserable, difficult or terrifying situation or experience that arouses anxiety, terror, agony or great displeasure. | |
Cleaning up after identity theft can be a nightmare of phone calls and letters. | |
we |
1. pron. (personal) The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person (not the person being addressed). (This is the exclusive we.) | |
2. pron. (personal) The speaker(s)/writer(s) and the person(s) being addressed. (This is the inclusive we.) | |
3. pron. (personal) The speaker/writer alone. (This use of we is the editorial we, used by writers and others, including royalty—the royal we—as a less personal substitute for I. The reflexive case of this sen | |
4. pron. (personal) The plural form of you, including everyone being addressed. | |
How are we all tonight? | |
5. pron. (personal, generally considered patronising) A second- or third-person pronoun for a person in the speaker's care. | |
How are we feeling this morning? | |
6. det. The speakers/writers, or the speaker/writer and at least one other person. | |
We Canadians like to think of ourselves as different. | |
see |
1. v. (stative) To perceive or detect with the eyes, or as if by sight. | |
2. v. To witness or observe by personal experience. | |
Now I've seen it all! | |
I have been blind since birth and I love to read Braille. When the books arrive in from the library, I can’t wait to see what stories they have s | |
I saw military service in Vietnam. | |
3. v. To form a mental picture of. | |
4. v. (figuratively) To understand. | |
Do you see what I mean? | |
5. v. To come to a realization of having been mistaken or misled. | |
They're blind to the damage they do, but someday they'll see. | |
6. v. (social) To meet, to visit. | |
7. v. To have an interview with; especially, to make a call upon; to visit. | |
to go to see a friend | |
8. v. To date frequently. | |
I've been seeing her for two months | |
9. v. To be the setting or time of. | |
The 20th century saw humanity's first space exploration. | |
10. v. (by extension) To ensure that something happens, especially while witnessing it. | |
I'll see you hang for this! I saw that they didn't make any more trouble. | |
11. v. (gambling) To respond to another player's bet with a bet of equal value. | |
I'll see your twenty dollars and raise you ten. | |
12. v. (sometimes mystical) To foresee, predict, or prophesy. | |
The oracle saw the destruction of the city. | |
13. v. To determine by trial or experiment; to find out (if or whether). | |
I'll come over later and see if I can fix your computer. | |
14. v. (used in the imperative) (Used to emphasise a proposition.) | |
You see, Johnny, your Dad isn't your real dad. | |
15. v. (used in the imperative) To reference or to study for further details. | |
Step 4: In the system, check out the laptop to the student (see: "Logging Resources" in the Tutor Manual). | |
This article is about the insect. For the English rock band, see. | |
For a complete proof of the Poincaré conjecture, see Appendix C. | |
16. interj. Directing the audience to pay attention to the following | |
See here, fellas, there's no need for all this rucus! | |
17. interj. Introducing an explanation | |
See, in order to win the full prize we would have to come up with a scheme to land a rover on the Moon. | |
18. n. A diocese, archdiocese; a region of a church, generally headed by a bishop, especially an archbishop. | |
19. n. The office of a bishop or archbishop; bishopric or archbishopric | |
20. n. A seat; a site; a place where sovereign power is exercised. | |
all |
1. adv. (degree) intensifier. | |
It suddenly went all quiet. | |
She was all, “Whatever.” | |
2. adv. (poetic) Entirely. | |
3. adv. Apiece; each. | |
The score was 30 all when the rain delay started. | |
4. adv. (degree) So much. | |
Don't want to go? All the better since I lost the tickets. | |
5. adv. (obsolete, poetic) even; just | |
6. det. Every individual or anything of the given class, with no exceptions (the noun or noun phrase denoting the class must be plural or un). | |
All contestants must register at the scorer’s table. All flesh is originally grass. All my friends like classical music. | |
7. det. Throughout the whole of (a stated period of time; generally used with units of a day or longer). | |
The store is open all day and all night. (= through the whole of the day and the whole of the night.) | |
I’ve been working on this all year. (= from the beginning of the year until now.) | |
8. det. (obsolete) Any. | |
9. det. Only; alone; nothing but. | |
He's all talk; he never puts his ideas into practice. | |
10. pron. Everything. | |
some gave all they had; she knows all and sees all; Those who think they know it all are annoying to those of us who do. | |
11. pron. Everyone. | |
A good time was had by all. | |
12. n. (with a possessive pronoun) Everything that one is capable of. | |
She gave her all, and collapsed at the finish line. | |
13. n. The totality of one's possessions. | |
14. conj. (obsolete) although | |
15. adj. (dialect, Pennsylvania) All gone; dead. | |
The butter is all. | |
around |
1. prep. Defining a circle or closed curve containing a thing. | |
I planted a row of lillies around the statue. The jackals began to gather around someone or something. | |
2. prep. Following the perimeter of a specified area and returning to the starting point. | |
We walked around the football field. She went around the track fifty times. | |
3. prep. Following a path which curves near an object, with the object on the inside of the curve. | |
The road took a brief detour around the large rock formation, then went straight on. | |
4. prep. (of distance, time) Near; in the vicinity of. | |
I left my keys somewhere around here. I left the house around 10 this morning. There isn't another house here for miles around. I'll see you around the neighbourhood, etc. | |
5. prep. At various places in. | |
The pages from the notebook were scattered around the room. Those teenagers like to hang around the mall. | |
6. adj. (informal, with the verb "to be") Alive; existing. | |
The record store on Main Street? Yes, it's still around. | |
"How is old Bob? I heard that his health is failing." "Oh, he's still around. He's feeling better now.". | |
7. adv. Generally. | |
8. adv. From place to place. | |
There are rumors going around that the company is bankrupt. | |
She went around the office and got everyone to sign the card. | |
Look around and see what you find. | |
We moved the furniture around in the living room. | |
9. adv. From one state or condition to an opposite or very different one; with a metaphorical change in direction; bringing about awareness or agreement. | |
The team wasn't doing well, but the new coach really turned things around. | |
He used to stay up late but his new girlfriend changed that around. | |
The patient was unconscious but the doctor brought him around quickly. (see bring around, come around) | |
I didn't think he would ever like the new design, but eventually we brought him around. (see bring around, come around) | |
10. adv. (with turn, spin etc.) Partially or completely rotated, including to face in the opposite direction. | |
Turn around at the end of this street. | |
She spun around a few times. | |
11. adv. Used with verbs to indicate repeated or continuous action, or in numerous locations or with numerous people | |
Stop kidding around. I'm serious. | |
I asked around, and no-one really liked it. | |
Shopping around can get you a better deal. | |
When are you going to stop whoring around, find a nice girl, and give us grandchildren? | |
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 | |
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? | |
because |
1. adv. (archaic) For the reason (that). | |
2. adv. On account (of), for sake (of). | |
My life is ruined because of you! | |
3. adv. Used alone to refuse to provide a full answer a question begun with "why", usually taken as an anapodoton of the elided full phrase "Because I said so". | |
4. conj. By or for the cause that; on this account that; for the reason that. | |
I hid myself because I was afraid. | |
5. conj. As is known, inferred, or determined from the fact that. | |
It must be broken, because I pressed the button and nothing happened. | |
I don't think he is a nice person, because he yells at people for no reason. | |
6. conj. (obsolete) So that, in order that. | |
7. prep. (uncommon, slang) On account of, because of. | |
I went to the store because hungry. | |
people |
1. n. Used as plural of person; a body of human beings considered generally or collectively; a group of two or more persons. | |
Why do so many people commit suicide? | |
2. n. Persons forming or belonging to a particular group, such as a nation, class, ethnic group, country, family, etc; folk; a community. | |
3. n. A group of persons regarded as being employees, followers, companions or subjects of a ruler. | |
4. n. One's colleagues or employees. | |
5. n. A person's ancestors, relatives or family. | |
My people lived through the Black Plague and the Thirty Years War. | |
6. n. The mass of a community as distinguished from a special class (elite); the commonalty; the populace; the vulgar; the common crowd; the citizens. | |
7. n. plural of person. | |
8. v. To stock with people or inhabitants; to fill as with people; to populate. | |
9. v. (intransitive) To become populous or populated. | |
10. v. To inhabit; to occupy; to populate. | |
can't |
1. v. Cannot (negative auxiliaryArnold M. Zwicky and Geoffrey K. Pullum, , Language 59 (3), 1983, pp. 502-513); is unable to; does not have the ability to. | |
I can’t quite get it to work. | |
2. v. Is forbidden to; is not permitted to. | |
You can’t enter the hall without a ticket. | |
3. v. Often with be: is logically impossible. | |
The butler can’t be the murderer because he was in London that evening. | |
can |
1. v. (auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to; to be able to. | |
She can speak English, French, and German. I can play football. Can you remember your fifth birthday? | |
2. v. (modal auxiliary verb, defective, informal) May; to be permitted or enabled to. | |
You can go outside and play when you're finished with your homework. Can I use your pen? | |
3. v. (modal auxiliary verb, defective) To have the potential to; be possible. | |
Can it be Friday already? | |
Teenagers can really try their parents' patience. | |
Animals can experience emotions. | |
4. v. (auxiliary verb, defective) Used with verbs of perception. | |
Can you hear that?. | |
I can feel the baby moving inside me. | |
5. v. (obsolete, transitive) To know. | |
6. n. A more or less cylindrical vessel for liquids, usually of steel or aluminium, but sometimes of plastic, and with a carrying handle over the top. | |
7. n. A container used to carry and dispense water for plants (a watering can). | |
8. n. A tin-plate canister, often cylindrical, for preserved foods such as fruit, meat, or fish. | |
9. n. (archaic) A chamber pot, now (US, slang) a toilet or lavatory. | |
Shit or get off the can. | |
Bob's in the can. You can wait a few minutes or just leave it with me. | |
10. n. (US, slang) Buttocks. | |
11. n. (slang) Jail or prison. | |
Bob's in the can. He won't be back for a few years. | |
12. n. (slang) Headphones. | |
13. n. (archaic) A drinking cup. | |
14. n. (nautical) A cube-shaped buoy or marker used to denote a port-side lateral mark | |
15. n. A chimney pot. | |
16. v. To preserve, by heating and sealing in a can or jar. | |
They spent August canning fruit and vegetables. | |
17. v. to discard, scrap or terminate (an idea, project, etc.). | |
He canned the whole project because he thought it would fail. | |
18. v. To shut up. | |
Can your gob. | |
19. v. (US, euphemistic) To fire or dismiss an employee. | |
The boss canned him for speaking out. | |
not |
1. adv. Negates the meaning of the modified verb. | |
Did you take out the trash? No, I did not. | |
Not knowing any better, I went ahead. | |
2. adv. To no degree. | |
That is not red; it's orange. | |
3. conj. And not. | |
I wanted a plate of shrimp, not a bucket of chicken. | |
He painted the car blue and black, not solid purple. | |
4. interj. (slang) Used to indicate that the previous phrase was meant sarcastically or ironically. | |
I really like hanging out with my little brother watching Barney... not! | |
Sure, you're perfect the way you are... not! | |
5. n. Unary logical function NOT, true if input is false, or a gate implementing that negation function. | |
You need a not there to conform with the negative logic of the memory chip. | |
6. contraction. (obsolete) Contraction of ne wot, wot not; know not; knows not. | |
grow |
1. v. To become bigger. | |
Children grow quickly. | |
2. v. (intransitive) To appear or sprout. | |
Flowers grew on the trees as summer approached. | |
A long tail began to grow from his backside. | |
3. v. To cause or allow something to become bigger, especially to cultivate plants. | |
He grows peppers and squash each summer in his garden. | |
Have you ever grown your hair before? | |
4. v. (copulative) To assume a condition or quality over time. | |
The boy grew wise as he matured. | |
The town grew smaller and smaller in the distance as we travelled. | |
You have grown strong. | |
5. v. (intransitive, obsolete) To become attached or fixed; to adhere. | |
up |
1. adv. Away from the surface of the Earth or other planet; in opposite direction to the downward pull of gravity. | |
I looked up and saw the airplane overhead. | |
2. adv. (intensifier) Used as an aspect marker to indicate a completed action or state Thoroughly, completely. | |
I will mix up the puzzle pieces. | |
Tear up the contract. | |
He really messed up. | |
Please type up our monthly report. | |
3. adv. To or from one's possession or consideration. | |
I picked up some milk on the way home. | |
The committee will take up your request. | |
She had to give up her driver's license after the accident. | |
4. adv. North. | |
I will go up to New York to visit my family this weekend. | |
5. adv. To a higher level of some quantity or notional quantity, such as price, volume, pitch, happiness, etc. | |
Gold has gone up with the uncertainty in the world markets. | |
Turn it up, I can barely hear it. | |
Listen to your voice go up at the end of a question. | |
Cheer up, the weekend's almost here. | |
6. adv. (rail transport) Traditional term for the direction leading to the principal terminus, towards milepost zero. | |
7. adv. (sailing) Against the wind or current. | |
8. adv. (Cartesian graph) In a positive vertical direction. | |
9. adv. (cricket) Relatively close to the batsman. | |
The bowler pitched the ball up. | |
10. adv. (hospitality, US) Without additional ice. | |
Would you like that drink up or on ice? | |
11. adv. (academia) Towards Cambridge or Oxford. | |
She's going up to read Classics this September. | |
12. adv. To or in a position of equal advance or equality; not short of, back of, less advanced than, away from, etc.; usually followed by to or with. | |
I was up to my chin in water. | |
A stranger came up and asked me for directions. | |
13. adv. To or in a state of completion; completely; wholly; quite. | |
Drink up. The pub is closing. | |
Can you sum up your research? | |
The comet burned up in the atmosphere. | |
I need to sew up the hole in this shirt. | |
14. adv. Aside, so as not to be in use. | |
to lay up riches; put up your weapons | |
15. prep. Toward the top of. | |
The cat went up the tree. They walk up the steps. | |
16. prep. Toward the center, source, or main point of reference; toward the end at which something is attached. | |
The information made its way up the chain of command to the general. I felt something crawling up my arm. | |
17. prep. Further along (in any direction). | |
Go up the street until you see the sign. | |
18. prep. From south to north of | |
19. prep. From the mouth towards the source (of a river or waterway). | |
20. prep. (vulgar slang) Of a man: having sex with. | |
Phwoar, look at that bird. I'd love to be up her. | |
21. prep. (colloquial) At (a given place, especially one imagined to be higher or more remote from a central location). | |
22. adj. Awake. | |
I can’t believe it’s 3 a.m. and you’re still up. | |
23. adj. Finished, to an end | |
Time is up! | |
24. adj. In a good mood. | |
I’m feeling up today. | |
25. adj. Willing; ready. | |
If you are up for a trip, let’s go. | |
26. adj. Next in a sequence. | |
Smith is up to bat. | |
27. adj. Happening; new. | |
What is up with that project at headquarters? | |
28. adj. Facing upwards; facing toward the top. | |
Put the notebook face up on the table. | |
Take a break and put your feet up. | |
29. adj. Larger; greater in quantity. | |
Sales are up from last quarter. | |
30. adj. Ahead; leading; winning. | |
The home team were up by two goals at half-time. | |
31. adj. Standing. | |
Get up and give her your seat. | |
32. adj. On a higher level. | |
The new ground is up. | |
33. adj. Available; made public. | |
The new notices are up as of last Tuesday. | |
34. adj. (poker, postnominal) Said of the higher-ranking pair in a two pair. | |
AAKK = aces up | |
QQ33 = queens up | |
35. adj. Well-informed; current. | |
I’m not up on the latest news. What’s going on? | |
36. adj. (computing) Functional; working. | |
Is the server back up? | |
37. adj. (anchor, Adj_railway)(of a railway line or train) Traveling towards a major terminus. | |
The London train is on the up line. | |
38. adj. Headed, or designated to go, upward, as an escalator, stairway, elevator etc. | |
39. adj. (bar tending) Chilled and strained into a stemmed glass. | |
A Cosmopolitan is typically served up. | |
40. adj. (slang) Erect. | |
41. adj. (of the Sun or Moon) Above the horizon, in the sky (i.e. during daytime or night-time) | |
42. adj. (slang) well-known; renowned | |
43. n. The direction opposed to the pull of gravity. | |
Up is a good way to go. | |
44. n. A positive thing. | |
I hate almost everything about my job. The only up is that it's so close to home. | |
45. n. An upstairs room of a two story house. | |
She lives in a two-up two-down. | |
46. v. (transitive, colloquial) To increase or raise. | |
If we up the volume, we'll be able to make out the details. | |
We upped anchor and sailed away. | |
47. v. (transitive, colloquial) To promote. | |
It wasn’t long before they upped him to Vice President. | |
48. v. (intransitive) To act suddenly, usually with another verb. | |
they're |
1. contraction. contraction of they are | |
2. adv. misspelling of there | |
3. det. misspelling of their | |
they |
1. pron. (the third-person plural) A group of people, animals, plants or objects previously mentioned. | |
Fred and Jane? They just arrived. Dogs may bark if they want to be fed. Plants wilt if they are not watered. | |
I have a car and a truck, but they are both broken. | |
2. pron. (the third-person singular, sometimes proscribed) A single person, previously mentioned, especially if of unknown or non-binary gender, but not if previously named and identified as male or female. | |
3. pron. (indefinite pronoun, vague meaning) People; some people; people in general; someone, excluding the speaker. | |
They say it’s a good place to live. | |
They didn’t have computers in the old days. | |
They should do something about this. | |
They have a lot of snow in winter. | |
4. det. (now Southern England dialect, or nonstandard) The, those. | |
5. det. (US dialects including AAVE) Their. | |
6. pron. (US dialectal) There (especially as an expletive subject of be). | |
are |
1. v. second-person singular present of be | |
Mary, where are you going? | |
2. v. first-person plural present of be | |
We are not coming. | |
3. v. second-person plural present of be | |
Mary and John, are you listening? | |
4. v. third-person plural present of be | |
They are here somewhere. | |
5. v. (East Yorkshire, Midlands) present of be | |
6. n. (dialectal, or obsolete) grace, mercy | |
To bid God's are. | |
God's are is what children of God seech and seek. | |
7. n. (obsolete) honour, dignity | |
8. n. (rare) an accepted (but deprecated and rarely used) SI unit of area equal to 100 square metres, or a former unit of approximately the same extent. Symbol: a | |
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? | |
clinging |
1. v. present participle of cling | |
2. n. The act of one who clings. | |
cling |
1. n. Fruit (especially peach) whose flesh adheres strongly to the pit. | |
2. n. adherence; attachment; devotion | |
3. v. To hold very tightly, as to not fall off. | |
Seaweed clung to the anchor. | |
4. v. To adhere to an object, without being affixed, in such a way as to follow its contours. Used especially of fabrics and films. | |
5. v. To cause to adhere to, especially by twining round or embracing. | |
6. v. To cause to dry up or wither. | |
7. v. (intransitive) To dry up or wither. | |
Wood clings. | |
8. v. (figurative, with preposition to) to be fond of, to feel strongly about | |
9. v. To produce a high-pitched ringing sound, like a small bell. | |
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 | |
their |
1. det. Belonging to, from, of, or relating to, them (plural). | |
they will meet tomorrow at their convenience; this is probably their cat | |
2. det. Belonging to someone (one person, singular). | |
3. adv. misspelling of there | |
4. contraction. misspelling of they’re | |
childhood |
1. n. (mostly) The state of being a child. | |
2. n. The time during which one is a child, from between infancy and puberty. | |
3. n. (by extension) The early stages of development of something. | |
and |
1. conj. As a coordinating conjunction; expressing two elements to be taken together or in addition to each other. | |
2. conj. Used simply to connect two noun phrases, adjectives or adverbs. | |
3. conj. Simply connecting two clauses or sentences. | |
4. conj. Introducing a clause or sentence which follows on in time or consequence from the first. | |
5. conj. (obsolete) Yet; but. | |
6. conj. Used to connect certain numbers: connecting units when they precede tens (not dated); connecting tens and units to hundreds, thousands etc. (now often | |
7. conj. (now colloquial, or literary) Used to connect more than two elements together in a chain, sometimes to stress the number of elements. | |
8. conj. Connecting two identical elements, with implications of continued or infinite repetition. | |
9. conj. Introducing a parenthetical or explanatory clause. | |
10. conj. Introducing the continuation of narration from a previous understood point; also used alone as a question: ‘and so what?’. | |
11. conj. (now regional or somewhat colloquial) Used to connect two verbs where the second is dependent on the first: ‘to’. Used especially after come, | |
12. conj. Introducing a qualitative difference between things having the same name; "as well as other". | |
13. conj. Used to combine numbers in addition; plus (with singular or plural verb). | |
14. conj. Expressing a condition.: | |
15. conj. (now US dialect) If; provided that. | |
16. conj. (obsolete) As if, as though. | |
17. n. (enm, music, often informal) In rhythm, the second half of a divided beat. | |
18. n. (UK dialectal) Breath. | |
19. n. (UK dialectal) Sea smoke; steam fog. | |
20. v. (UK dialectal, intransitive) To breathe; whisper; devise; imagine. | |
children |
1. n. plural of child. | |
child |
1. n. A person who has not yet reached adulthood, whether natural (puberty), cultural (initiation), or legal (majority) | |
Go easy on him: he is but a child. | |
2. n. (obsolete) a female child, a girl. | |
3. n. (with possessive) One's son or daughter, regardless of age. | |
My youngest child is forty-three. | |
4. n. (cartomancy) The thirteenth Lenormand card. | |
5. n. (figuratively) A figurative offspring, particularly: | |
6. n. A person considered a product of a place or culture, a member of a tribe or culture, regardless of age. | |
The children of Israel. | |
He is a child of his times. | |
7. n. Anything derived from or caused by something. | |
Poverty, disease, and despair are the children of war. | |
8. n. (computing) A data item, process, or object which has a subservient or derivative role relative to another. | |
The child node then stores the actual data of the parent node. | |
are |
1. v. second-person singular present of be | |
Mary, where are you going? | |
2. v. first-person plural present of be | |
We are not coming. | |
3. v. second-person plural present of be | |
Mary and John, are you listening? | |
4. v. third-person plural present of be | |
They are here somewhere. | |
5. v. (East Yorkshire, Midlands) present of be | |
6. n. (dialectal, or obsolete) grace, mercy | |
To bid God's are. | |
God's are is what children of God seech and seek. | |
7. n. (obsolete) honour, dignity | |
8. n. (rare) an accepted (but deprecated and rarely used) SI unit of area equal to 100 square metres, or a former unit of approximately the same extent. Symbol: a | |
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? | |
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. | |
cruelest |
1. adj. superlative form of cruel: most cruel | |
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. | |
all |
1. adv. (degree) intensifier. | |
It suddenly went all quiet. | |
She was all, “Whatever.” | |
2. adv. (poetic) Entirely. | |
3. adv. Apiece; each. | |
The score was 30 all when the rain delay started. | |
4. adv. (degree) So much. | |
Don't want to go? All the better since I lost the tickets. | |
5. adv. (obsolete, poetic) even; just | |
6. det. Every individual or anything of the given class, with no exceptions (the noun or noun phrase denoting the class must be plural or un). | |
All contestants must register at the scorer’s table. All flesh is originally grass. All my friends like classical music. | |
7. det. Throughout the whole of (a stated period of time; generally used with units of a day or longer). | |
The store is open all day and all night. (= through the whole of the day and the whole of the night.) | |
I’ve been working on this all year. (= from the beginning of the year until now.) | |
8. det. (obsolete) Any. | |
9. det. Only; alone; nothing but. | |
He's all talk; he never puts his ideas into practice. | |
10. pron. Everything. | |
some gave all they had; she knows all and sees all; Those who think they know it all are annoying to those of us who do. | |
11. pron. Everyone. | |
A good time was had by all. | |
12. n. (with a possessive pronoun) Everything that one is capable of. | |
She gave her all, and collapsed at the finish line. | |
13. n. The totality of one's possessions. | |
14. conj. (obsolete) although | |
15. adj. (dialect, Pennsylvania) All gone; dead. | |
The butter is all. | |