Questions tagged [definition]
Definition is a statement of the exact meaning of a word or phrase, especially when given in a dictionary.
154
questions
0
votes
1answer
33 views
What does “libel act” mean?
What does "LIBEL ACT" mean? Does "the state of things was even more in evidence means that the situation was worse than England or not?
Even at the present day the air is charged with ...
3
votes
2answers
452 views
If a legatee receives a legacy, what is the legacy giver called? Maybe legateer?
I'm looking for a word to describe a person who leaves a legacy. It would be nice to call someone or a group of people that word. Similar to how being a maverick is someone who's different from the ...
0
votes
1answer
34 views
Why does the definition of ingratiate say “gain favor WITH somebody” instead of “FROM or FOR somebody”?
Ingratiate
verb: gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts
Even though Tom didn't like his new boss, he decided to ingratiate himself to her in order to advance his career.
I find the ...
0
votes
1answer
21 views
Is the term “restricted interest” not redundant?
Here is a quote from an article on Wikipedia on Asperger's Syndrome:
People with Asperger syndrome often display restricted or specialized
interests, such as this boy's interest in stacking cans.
...
-4
votes
1answer
18 views
What is the exact meaning of the word additional?
I would like to ask one question regarding the meaning of the word additional.
Does the word additional carry on the connotation of optional?
Like for example if I write "additional settings" in a ...
1
vote
1answer
28 views
what does it mean when a name fascinates you [closed]
I just wanted to know out of curiosity because I was wondering and I did not know what it is so can someone please explain it to me I don't know because no one has told me
3
votes
1answer
27 views
What does “do/start the circuit” mean in filmmaking?
Could you be so kind and explain the meaning of "doing of circuit"? Action goes in Hollywood.
As far as I understand it is something actors do after movie is made, but have no idea what it is... :( ...
0
votes
1answer
96 views
Meaning of “broken shell of a man”
Rachel: So, got any advice? Y'know, as someone who's recently been- dumped?
Ross: Well, you may wanna steer clear of the word 'dumped'. Chances are he's gonna be this, this broken shell of a man
0
votes
1answer
22 views
What is the meaning of “Or else”
Okay. Okay. I am just going to get up, go to work and not think about him all day. Or else I'm just gonna get up and go to work.
-5
votes
1answer
46 views
What Does very interesting mean [closed]
I would just like to know because I do not know the meaning and I would like some clarification so please can someone clarify what it is
0
votes
0answers
17 views
“over in about six weeks” - What does that mean?
Text:
No. The reason is that on the internet no one knows if you’re a dog. So legislators, executives, or administrators who are being lobbied by these petitions don’t know if you are a registered ...
0
votes
2answers
40 views
Is there a phrasal verb that describes going around, engaging in pointless chores just to kill some time because you don't know what to do?
Not "to procrastinate", maybe a verb that emphasizes more on the movement characteristic of the action
0
votes
0answers
28 views
What does 'Maytey' mean in John Clare's poem?
What is the meaning of 'Maytey' in John Clare's poem titled 'To an April Daisy'?
It starts with the line, which is "Welcome old Maytey peeping once again."
Does it mean 'mate' in a familiar style?
0
votes
1answer
16 views
“Virtually” and wiktionary
I read
Ordinary language, as most of us are at least vaguely aware, serves various functions in
our day-to-day lives. The twentieth-century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein thought
the number of ...
4
votes
3answers
803 views
The use of the word “problematic” in a sentence
There are a couple of words one can use to refer to someone with a hearing problem, such as "deaf", "hearing-impaired" or "hard of hearing".
I was wondering if we could use the word "problematic" to ...
0
votes
1answer
43 views
Difference between “being passionate” and "being
I've looked at definitions of both "passionate" and "passional", and they are pretty much the same, but I can't help but feel being passionate is different from being passional
0
votes
0answers
21 views
Phrasal verb - stamp something out (definition)
I have read this, and I read "and stamping out an epidemic that has killed more than 1,000 people and infected more than 40,000."
So, from Cambridge Dictionary I get:
stamp something out
— ...
0
votes
1answer
27 views
What does “you're comin' at my friends” mean?
Does "you're comin' at my friends" mean:
"you blame my friends"
or
"you're trying to become my friend"
or something else?
Lyrics:
You are somebody that we don't know
But you're comin' at my ...
1
vote
2answers
305 views
What is the difference between faith and superstition?
What is the difference between faith and superstition?
When should I consider faith as superstition?
From google define
Faith - complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
...
0
votes
1answer
193 views
What does it mean by approach, method, principle, technique in ELT?
According to Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics:
.
approach n
in language teaching, the theory, philosophy and principles underlying a particular set of teaching ...
0
votes
2answers
49 views
definitions of “co-opt” and inferences
If someone has been co-opted into a group, is he or she necessarily a member of it?
Recently, I came across the following usage description:
co-opt
2. verb
If someone is co-opted into a group, ...
1
vote
2answers
118 views
realign yourself with somebody
A learner's dictionary gives the following definition and sentence. Do you think the definition is accurate? It bothers me to find it different from other dictionaries' definitions, which don't ...
5
votes
2answers
3k views
What does “teleport anywhere in the world” mean?
The definition says:
To transport by teleportation.
But what's not clear is if "teleport anywhere in the world" means "teleport from anywhere" or "teleport to anywhere" or "teleport to anywhere ...
0
votes
0answers
26 views
On this definition of holding
A tenure; a farm or other estate held of another.
The above is the third definition of holding in this dictionary.
I couldn't make sense of the part in italics, especially on their use of held; is ...
1
vote
1answer
23 views
What is the need to say a full “sentence”?
Definition of Tense:
Tense is the form that a verb takes to show the time it happened.
So if someone ask me to give an example of the present tense can I answer with the basic from of a verb eg, ...
2
votes
2answers
467 views
What are the differences between relationship and connection?
What are the differences between the words 'relationship' and 'connection?'
This is what I found in a dictionary: "A connection is a relationship between two things, people, or groups." Then, are ...
2
votes
3answers
79 views
Is “disproportionate” word correct in this context or should I use other?
Imagine the next situation, I am talking with a friend about this article: Haiti: photojournalist shot in face as senator opens fire outside parliament ...:
Friend: Ehh, Did you read this one?
...
0
votes
1answer
18 views
If something is oversold, is it worth more or less than the sell price?
On one hand, in the context of stock market, Lexico dictionary defines the word "oversold" as follows:
Sold at a price below its true value.
On the other hand, when defining the word "oversell", ...
-1
votes
1answer
42 views
I need a definition for this word
I need this sentence to be defined or summarized into one or two words please. The word is
“we will get you married”
I had a dream where my father was standing in the kitchen and he told me we ...
1
vote
2answers
31 views
Word meaning of “trial”
In The Economist: As face-recognition technology spreads, so do ideas for subverting it:
And a number of British police forces have tested the technology (face-recognition) as a tool of mass ...
0
votes
0answers
274 views
What do you call a person who handles contractual paperwork?
As an administrative assistant, one of the jobs I had to perform was keeping track of all contractual employees, writing their schedules, and ensuring that they got their paychecks.
That was not my ...
0
votes
1answer
72 views
Does it feel natural to use 'several' to mean starting from 'two'? Can 'several' be 'two'?
My question is based on this post: Using 'several' and 'some'
Anyway, my question is this:
Does it feel natural for native speakers to use several to mean starting from two? Do you ...
0
votes
1answer
299 views
What is the exact definition of endeavor as a noun?
From Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's Dictinary | 8th ed (En-En):
endeavour
N-VAR [oft N to-inf ]
An endeavour is an attempt to do something, especially something new or original. [FORMAL ]...
0
votes
1answer
51 views
Is a plastron correctly defined as a neck-tie?
I had never heard of this word, and I'm suspicious that this is really its correct meaning.
As far as I can see the etymology leads from Greek roots to chest protection to the front decorative panel ...
17
votes
3answers
2k views
Does a code snippet compile? Or does it get compiled?
I was completely surprised that the following snippet compiled and worked in both Visual Studio 2008 and G++ 4.4.
The following code does not compile:
By coding rigidly to the spec, you can ...
1
vote
2answers
144 views
Can anyone give an example that is “non-sequential index? Is (red, green, blue) a ”non-sequential index"?
This post says
The insurance risk example illustrates how “time” n need not really be
time, but instead can be a sequential indexing of some kind of events.
which use "sequential" to describe "...
1
vote
1answer
23 views
Regarding a particular definition of “commission”
Does this definition (3rd entry) of the word "commission" :
The thing to be done as agent for another.
simply mean:
The thing to be done in place of another thing .
?
0
votes
0answers
28 views
blind as an adverb vs blindly - any difference at all?
Merriam-Webster's definition of blind as an adverb is
to the point of insensibility
without seeing outside an airplane
without knowledge of certain facts that could serve for guidance or ...
1
vote
1answer
104 views
Is there the word “over-preoccupation”?
I've seen “over-preoccupation” in a paragraph and searched for the meaning, but I only came across results with "preoccupation" - without the "over".
1
vote
4answers
383 views
what does “to riff” mean in this context?
Two players were playing a chess game. One play voiced "it looks ominous" after playing a move that he thought was brilliant. The other player responded "riffing".
What does the verb, to riff, or the ...
1
vote
1answer
30 views
eyes blazing with devilment
I've noticed a dictionary defines devilment as "wild or bad behaviour that causes trouble" but gives the following example:
eyes blazing with devilment
Does the example fit the definition?
1
vote
1answer
21 views
Regarding a certain definition of the verb “lock up”
The Wiktionary defines the verb lock up in the second entry as:
to invest in something long term.
Does it mean:
to invest in something that will become apparent later.
or:
to invest in ...
0
votes
1answer
57 views
“On-screen” usage as an adverb and/or prepositional phrase
I want to use the phrase "on-screen" correctly, so I have looked it up on online dictionaries and found it defined as an adverb or adjective but not a prepositional phrase which is a bit confusing ...
0
votes
2answers
378 views
What does this phrase “hit home” stand for in the context mentioned below?
I looked up the phrase "hit home" in the Oxford, Cambridge dictionary, and Webster online dictionaries but I didn't find anything that can help me to understand what this phrase "hit home" means in ...
0
votes
2answers
124 views
What kind of music has vocals but no words
There is a type of music that has vocals, but they don't actually sing words. An example is this: https://youtu.be/8Jc2j2cjoz4?t=10
Does anyone know what the name of this type of music this is?
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Explaining a definition of the pronoun
Could someone explain to me this part "used by itself" in the definition of a pronoun?
Pronoun: a word that can function as a noun phrase used by itself and that
refers either to the participants ...
0
votes
1answer
19 views
definitional clarity: the university of life
The following is taken from Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. What does "the person gaining formal qualifications" stand in opposition to? Is the definition considered clear by the standards of ...
2
votes
2answers
28 views
What do you call for repeatedly making a statement even when the statement has been proved wrong
Let's consider a situation were two persons, person A and person B are arguing about something.
Person A makes a statement as a point in his argument. Then person B proves person A's statement as ...
0
votes
2answers
49 views
What does “Implies each other” mean?
What does "Implies each other" or "Implying each other" mean?
The context is from:
"My body and I are not, therefore, mutually exclusive; rather, each implies the other."
1
vote
1answer
48 views
Meaning of “to lay off of someone”
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, one of the meanings of "to lay off" is :
to lay off : to leave undisturbed.
How would this definition fit within the context "to lay off of him" for ...
