Questions tagged [meaning-in-context]
This tag is for questions about the meaning of a word or a phrase in a specific context, which a dictionary cannot answer. Please give as much context as possible.
9,874
questions
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I don't understand the role of 'that I was' here
SOURCE (Michelle Phan)
From an early age my ambitions were driven by the expectations of others and being the people pleaser that I was, I'd spent the rest of my youth chasing after my ...
3
votes
3
answers
637
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Is "hitching" an adjective in "tying ... to the hitching rail"?
...then, tying the horse to the hitching rail...
What is the function of "hitching" here?
I initially thought it was an adjective, but could not find a translation in any dictionary indicating that ...
0
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0
answers
751
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What does "sleep through an earthquake" mean?
I heard this phrase recently in a podcast. I am not sure If I heard it right, but I couldn't find its meaning.
Here is the exact sentence I heard,
She can sleep through an earthquake.
My ...
3
votes
2
answers
166
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What is the meaning of Annie's words about the author?
SOURCE "Field of Dreams", 1989
Context: Protester giving speech to ban the author's books
which were published in the 60s because of too much racism etc.
For these words one of the ...
0
votes
2
answers
981
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Understanding a clause starting with "you can barely move for..."
SOURCE
In parts of South America, you can barely move for beautiful people chipping their nail polish on endangered hardwoods, and, in Africa, cuddling up to wild animals. Tracy Ward, the actress and ...
1
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1
answer
52
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A.T. = Appalachian Trail in sentence?
I've found this sentence in Google Books:
Somewhat more permanent are small anodized metal “A.T.” diamonds that
the original trailblazers nailed along the path in the 1930s and
1940s.
Context ...
0
votes
3
answers
466
views
What is the meaning of Annie words?
Annie is talking to his fake Dad & telling him about his real Dad character during wedding anniversary before Annie's mother
Annie: Dad always does something really special for the anniversary.
...
0
votes
1
answer
920
views
What does "and then yeh gotta find yer way" mean here?
Harry : "Why would you be mad to try and rob Gringotts(Wizards' bank)?"
Hagrid : "Spells-enchantments," said Hagrid, unfolding his newspaper as he spoke. "They say there's dragons guardin' the ...
6
votes
1
answer
114
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What exactly America rejecting it & why it was rejecting?
In English Romantic Comedy movie Serendipity (2001), Jonathan Trager, Salesman & his friend Dane searching the information of Sara Thomas. Jonathan Trager has account number of her shopping bill. ...
0
votes
1
answer
71
views
What does "have been through two or three jobs" mean?
I don't quite understand the implication of this sentence. Why won't they have to cope with more expensive borrowing? Does a finance director have to borrow money to be through a job?
"First, it ...
1
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1
answer
95
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What is the meaning of Bob's words?
Paul found some Nazi Vinyl records in Bob's house, so he asked about him it.
Bob: Not mine. Nazi stuff belongs to Moburg.
Paul: Moburg lives here?
Bob: He keeps his uniform here. I never ...
2
votes
1
answer
735
views
What is the meaning of "Some days are two sizes too small"?
Sanderson is waiting for Paul to began the meeting, so Paul arrived & Sanderson welcoming him.
Sanderson: There he is. Paul, come in.
Paul: Sorry. There were unexpected developments. I had ...
0
votes
1
answer
135
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Does it mean he has no doubt about it?
"I would not dare to say that there is a direct link between mathematics and madness, but there is no doubt that great mathematicians suffer from maniacal characteristics, delirium and symptoms of ...
2
votes
1
answer
141
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Meaning of "X stands surety for Y"
I am not sure about the meaning of the highlighted part of the following sentence:
A clear foe of the brute force deployed so unilaterally by the
stupidly authoritarian Roman Empire, Getafix ...
4
votes
1
answer
77
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What is the meaning of Murray words in his conditions?
In English Adventure movie The Lost City of Z (2016), Murray volunteered to join Percy Fawcett's Geographic mission.
Murray was unable to survive due to lot of adventures and then gave up his journey ...
0
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0
answers
3k
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What does it mean by 'tongue between someone's teeth'?
"Gallopin' Gorgons, that reminds me," said Hagird, ....... he pulled an owl-a real, live, rather ruffled-looking owl-a long quill, and a roll of parchment. With his tongue between his teeth he ...
2
votes
1
answer
220
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About the usage of some words in literature
How to understand lay some way out.
The following is a piece of excerpt from Treasure Island
The Hispaniola lay some way out, and we went under the figureheads and
around the sterns of many ...
1
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1
answer
18k
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what is the difference between 'under construction' and 'renovation'?
I saw some sentences.
This was written as 'His Web site is still under construction.'
I think it means 'repair process of existing web site' so I chose answer 'He has an online portfolio in his ...
1
vote
1
answer
1k
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Not understood meaning of sentence
What does this sentence mean?⬇
"Your teachers coming to our schools would fulfil the contract."
Especially "Your teachers coming to our schools..."
I do not really know how to understand this.
0
votes
2
answers
2k
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What does 'through a mouthful of nails' mean here?
Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the mail slot. "See" he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't deliver them they'll just give up....
1
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1
answer
181
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If John does ten pushups, does that mean he does nine reps?
When talking about pushups, we know the word rep comes from repetition.
But is rep really the same as repetition in this context?
If John does ten pushups, he does nine repetitions, plus the first ...
0
votes
1
answer
139
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What does “brimstone” mean in this context?
Then, stepping into his extended hand, and condescending to be held out at arm’s length, he gave vent to a succession of sounds, not unlike the drawing of some eight or ten dozen of long corks, and ...
2
votes
1
answer
135
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What does "dying weeks" imply?
The Obama administration had identified a more direct solution. In its dying weeks it filed a case at the WTO, suing China for its aluminium subsidies.
(The Economist)
Could this(dying weeks) mean ...
3
votes
1
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21k
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What does "love is love is love" mean?
Often hear it in connection to LGBT. Can anyone please explain what it means? I get the original version: "love is love" but I don't understand the syntax of Lin-Manuel Miranda's poem.
5
votes
1
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12k
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"figurative" vs "metaphorical"
What is the difference between two these terms?
Are they interchangeably used?
Because when I sometimes look at the dictionary, I see this term, figurative, attached to some words which can be used ...
3
votes
3
answers
6k
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"The Night of": common phrase ? Or just "the night of <something>"?
I have been watching the television drama "The Night Of", and I am not sure how the title should be understood: I can't find another example of a phrase where the preposition "of" is used without a ...
1
vote
1
answer
1k
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What is the meaning of "rolling"?
I hear "Roll" as a verb in different sentences. The meanings that I find in dictionaries do not fully explain the exact meaning in those sentences.
For instance, in the following sentence :
"We ...
1
vote
1
answer
56
views
How to interpret the following clause with a particular tonality
Here is an example sentence from a textbook:
The man and the woman | dressed in black | then stood up.
The upright slashes denote chuncking the clause into intonation groups for speech. I am ...
1
vote
2
answers
767
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What does "it" represent in this context?
If we take light for example, is it a wave or a particle? What is the 'true' nature of light? Is it a mixture of waves and particles or is it the way in which we try to make sense of light, by ...
3
votes
1
answer
192
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W'y, ter read, o' course
"Here's yer mornin' paper!" yelled a newsboy.
"Mine, did you say?" she asked.
"Sure! Chronicle, 'Quirer, R'public 'n' 'Spatch! Wot'll ye 'ave?"
"What are they for?" inquired the wax lady, simply.
"...
8
votes
4
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3k
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Meaning of the word "smart"
What does the word smart mean in this context?
Is she smart meaning she is intelligent
She is clean, neat, well dressed
I've looked up in dictionaries and I'm still confused what does smart mean in ...
1
vote
1
answer
83
views
Is the use of "present during" in "...capturing feelings present during a reading..." correct?
Art style and music create a very mysterious and terrifying atmosphere accurately capturing feelings present during a reading of this short story.
I want to say that a movie's atmosphere captures or ...
1
vote
2
answers
6k
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Does 'much later' here mean just 'a lot later' or 'for a long time'?
Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go-Cupboard-stay-no meals," before he collapsed into a ...
2
votes
1
answer
142
views
What does "That's bankster" mean?
Does it mean "That is something bad for the banking system"?
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/bankster
The credit-to-GDP gap has reached a critical level in Canada. The BIS defines this ...
0
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2
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3k
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If we are talking about last night which one is correct to say
I haven't slept much today or I haven't slept much yesterday.
When we are reffering to the night that was between today and yesterday.
Thank you!
1
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2
answers
401
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Help me understand the phrase from the image: "to nervously ask you to prom"
Again asking for Your help as native English speakers. I'm studying English, I really like it. I am not a native English speaker, my native language is Russian. For me not understand the phrase: "to ...
0
votes
1
answer
234
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stroking or stroke
I'm reading National Geographic magazine, this is paragraph:
To a lobster couple, this is normal sex: For days the female squirts urine into the den of her desired mate. Beguiled by the scent, he ...
1
vote
1
answer
3k
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the meaning of the phrase: "she sucks badly at it"
What does the phrase: "she sucks badly at it" mean?
My hypotheses are:
She doesn't like it
She is bad at doing it
It is a passage from the Emily Giffin's book "Where We Belong".
If you need more ...
0
votes
1
answer
6k
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Present perfect in context: "We haven't paid the phone bill yet."
A son wanted to buy a camera, but his mother told him that they don't have enough money and then turned his attention to the gas bill. Here I understand that she wanted to drop him a hint that she has ...
0
votes
1
answer
2k
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What is the meaning of "...up close they turn cold"
I posted a question here, & somebody posted their comment on it.
Males often have more desire from a distance, but up close they turn
cold. The opposite applies to females.
What does turn ...
2
votes
2
answers
188
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What does "disagreeing about" mean in this question?
Samuel and Tova are committed to disagreeing about which one of the following?
A.________
B.________
C.________
I have two different interpretations about this question.
Choose the ...
3
votes
2
answers
2k
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Breathed deep vs. breathing deeply
He looked at the stone figures all around them, breathed deep in the chill of silence of the crypt. (A Game of Thrones)
I think he should have put breathing deeply instead of breathed deep, for two ...
1
vote
1
answer
109
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How to analyze and rewrite this sentence?
I encountered a sentence-
"It would be difficult to find two languages that are the communicating coin of two more different cultures than those gathered around these two languages."
, which makes ...
-1
votes
2
answers
69
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What does "steepening of the U.S. Treasury curve" mean? [closed]
Does it mean "the bonds yield will go up"?
"Let's not forget here: The U.S. expansion, while being soft, is actually pretty mature so the Fed is getting lined up here in preparation for the next ...
3
votes
1
answer
76
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What does "a franchise-low debut weekend haul" mean?
I don't know much about the film industry. So can anybody explain it for me, please?
And one more thing, do you have to pay for previews?
"The most recent 'Transformers' film, "The Last Knight," ...
2
votes
2
answers
1k
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What is the meaning of "when three sources tell you the same thing word for word, you know they're lying"?
Mason getting ready to document dangerous place so before leaving she talks to Jerry on phone.
Jerry: I don't get it. Why do you want a gig documenting a mapping
mission when you're up for the ...
1
vote
1
answer
32
views
take as a has code for X an integer interpretation of its bits, Meaning
I read a following sentence in the book Data Structure & Algorithm in Python(Page 412):
To begin, we note that, for any data type X that is represented using at most as many bits as our integer ...
0
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3
answers
297
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What does "meet" mean in this passage?
I am not english native speaker; I am italian.
I couldn't understand meaning "meet" in this context.
As noted in CCP Standard 2.2, the Board operates eight Board-level
committees to aid in the ...
0
votes
1
answer
200
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What is the difference among dealt/get dealt/got dealt?
What is the difference in the meaning among these following sentences?
A. Priority cases get dealt with first.
B. Priority cases are dealt with first.
C. Priority cases are got dealt with ...
3
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2
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4k
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"The best outcome for Spain…" Is there any ambiguity as to the meaning of this phrase?
Consider this sentence:
"The best outcome for Spain would be to permit the referendum, and for Catalan voters to reject independence" (Source, In the last paragraph)
Would this mean that
the best ...