showing poor taste R; offensive; rude. (Adv: tastelessly.) tasty ["tes ti] adj. full of flavor; delicious. (Adv: tastily. Comp: tastier; sup: tastiest.) tatter ["tAt #] tv. to tear a piece of cloth; to fray something. → in tatters taught ["tOt] past tense and past participle of teach. taunt ["tOnt] 1. tv. to tease some- one; to make fun of someone; to ridicule someone; to provoke someone by saying something unkind. 2. n. an unkind remark that is made to tease or ridicule someone. taut ["tOt] adj. pulled tight; having no slack; stretched. (Adv: tautly. Comp: tauter; sup: tautest.) → run a taut ship tax ["tAks] 1. n. money charged by a government to pay for the cost of the government and its services. 2. tv. to make someone pay Q. 3. tv. to charge Q on something; to burden something with Q. 4. tv. to burden someone or some- thing; to place a strain on some- one or something. (Figurative on E.) → income tax tax bracket ["tAks brAk @t] n. one of a series of federal income-tax rates and the levels of income associated with that rate. tax return ["tAks rI t#n] n. a form, filled out by someone required to pay taxes, showing the amount of tax that is owed. taxi ["tAk si] 1. n. a cab, a taxicab. (Short for taxicab.) 2. iv. [for an airplane] to move on the ground. taxicab ["tAk si kAb] n. a car that, along with its driver, can be hired for short trips. (Can be shortened to taxi or cab.) tea ["ti] 1. n. the leaves of a bush grown in Asia that are dried and then soaked in boiling water to make a refreshing drink. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. a drink made from Q. (No plu- ral.) 3. n. a drink, like W, made by soaking dried herbs or other plants in boiling water. (No plu- ral.) → not someone’s cup of tea teach ["titS] 1. tv., irreg. to provide instruction in a particular subject. (Past tense and past participle: taught.) 2. tv., irreg. to instruct someone in how to do something. 3. iv., irreg. to work as a teacher. teach one’s grandmother to suck eggs to try to tell or show some- one more knowledgeable or expe- rienced than oneself how to do something. teacher ["titS #] n. someone who teaches people something; some- one who instructs people in a sub- ject. → be the teacher’s pet team ["tim] 1. n. a group of players who form one side in a game or sport. 2. n. a group of people who work together. 3. n. two or more animals that work together to pull a vehicle or piece of farming equipment. team up against someone or something to join with someone tasty 626 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 626 TLFeBOOK else against someone or some- thing. team up (with someone ) to join with one or more persons; to col- laborate with two or more per- sons. teammate ["tim met] n. a member of a team that one is a part of; another person on one’s team. teamwork ["tim w#k] n. the action of working together as a team. (No plural.) teapot ["ti pat] n. a container with a handle and a spout, used to hold and pour tea. → a tempest in a teapot tear 1. ["tIr] n. a drop of liquid that falls from one’s eye when one cries. 2. ["tEr] n. a rip; a place in a piece of cloth or paper that is ripped. 3. ["tEr] tv., irreg. to make a hole or a rip in something, espe- cially by pulling it; to pull some- thing into pieces. (Past tense: tore; past participle: torn.) 4. ["tEr] iv., irreg. to be ripped apart. 5. ["tEr] iv., irreg. to move somewhere very quickly. 6. ["tIr] iv. to cry; to begin to cry; to have tears form in one’s eyes. (Past tense and past partici- ple: teared [ "tird].) → blink back one’s tears → break out in tears → break (out) into tears → shed crocodile tears tear away (from someone or something ) to leave someone or something, running or moving very fast. tear down something to race down something very fast. tear off (from someone or some- thing ) to leave someone or some- thing in a great hurry. tear one’s hair (out) to be anxious, frustrated, or angry. tear ( oneself ) away (from some- one or something ) to force oneself to leave someone or something. tear out (of someplace ) to leave a place in a great hurry. tear someone or something down to criticize someone or something without mercy. tear someone up to cause someone to grieve greatly. tear something away (from some- one or something ) 1. to peel some- thing from someone or some- thing. 2. to snatch something away from someone or something. tear something down to raze or demolish something; to destroy something such as a building. tear something off ((of) someone or something ) to peel or rip some- thing off someone or something. tear something out (of something ) to remove something from some- thing by ripping or tearing. teardrop ["tIr drap] n. one tear; one drop of liquid that falls from one’s eye. tease ["tiz] 1. tv. to taunt someone; to make fun of someone. 2. tv. to flirt with someone, especially with sexual hints. 3. tv. to separate strands of hair; to comb strands of hair apart. 4. iv. to taunt [someone or something]; to annoy on pur- pose. 5. n. someone who flirts with someone else as in W. tease 627 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 627 TLFeBOOK technician [tEk "nI S@n] n. some- one who works in the field of industrial or mechanical sciences; someone who works in a labora- tory, performing tests. technique [tEk "nik] 1. n. a special method of doing something. 2. n. the skill involved in creating or performing art; the way that art is performed, displayed, or exhib- ited—showing the artist’s skill. (No plural.) technology [tEk "nal @ dZi] n. the science and study of the mechani- cal and industrial sciences. (Plural only for types and instances.) teen ["tin] 1. n. a teenager. 2. the adj. use of Q. teenage ["tin edZ] adj. of, for, or about teenagers; of the ages from 13 through 19. teenager ["tin edZ #] n. someone whose age is between 13 and 19. teens n. the numbers 13–19 or 10–19. (When referring to age, it refers to the period of someone’s life from the age of 13 through the age of 19.) teeth ["tiT] plural of tooth. → armed to the teeth → (as) scarce as hens’ teeth → by the skin of one’s teeth → fly in the teeth of someone or something → get one’s teeth into something → gnash one’s teeth → grit one’s teeth → lie through one’s teeth → no skin off someone’s teeth → pull someone’s or something’s teeth → put some teeth into something → scarcer than hens’ teeth → set someone’s teeth on edge → sink one’s teeth into something teething troubles 1. a baby’s dif- ficulties and pain experienced during the growth of its first set of teeth. 2. difficulties and problems experienced in the early stages of a project, activity, etc. telegram ["tEl @ grAm] n. a mes- sage sent by telegraph. telegraph ["tEl @ grAf] 1. n. a machine that sends messages in electrical code over electrical wires. 2. tv. to send a message by using Q. (E.g., telegraphed his response.) 3. tv. to send [a mes- sage] to someone by Q. (E.g., tele- graphed John with his response.) telephone ["tEl @ fon] 1. n. a device that transmits sound by convert- ing it into electrical signals; a phone. 2. tv. to call someone by using Q. 3. iv. to make a call with Q. → cell(ular) telephone telephone call ["tEl @ fon "kOl] n. a message or a conversation using the telephone; an instance of someone contacting someone by telephone. (Can be shortened to call or phone call.) telescope ["tEl @ skop] 1. n. a device that makes distant objects, especially objects that are in the sky, look larger so that one can see them better. 2. iv. to become shorter or longer by having one part slide over another as with Q. 3. tv. to make something shorter or longer by sliding one part of it over another. television ["tel @ vIZ @n] 1. n. the transmission of an electronic sig- nal containing sounds and images. (No plural. Can be shortened to technician 628 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 628 TLFeBOOK TV.) 2. n. the business of produc- ing Q or the programs that are transmitted on Q. (No plural. Can be shortened to TV.) 3. n. an electronic device that converts electronic signals into sounds and images. (Short for television set.) 4. the adj. use of Q, W, or E. television set ["Tel @ vIZ @n "sEt] n. an electronic device that turns a television signal into images and sound. (Can be shortened to tele- vision or TV.) tell ["tEl] 1. tv., irreg. to express something in words. (Past tense and past participle: told.) 2. tv., irreg. to inform someone [of something]. 3. tv., irreg. to signal information [to someone]. 4. tv., irreg. to reveal a secret. 5. iv., irreg. to reveal [a secret]. 6. iv., irreg. to try to make trouble for a person by saying (to an authority) what that person has done. → not tell a soul tell its own story and tell its own tale [for the state of some- thing] to indicate clearly what has happened. tell its own tale Go to tell its own story. tell one to one’s face to tell (some- thing) to someone directly. tell someone where to get off to rebuke someone; to put one in one’s place. tell tales out of school to tell secrets or spread rumors. teller ["tEl #] n. someone who works at a bank, receiving and giv- ing out money. temper ["tEm p#] 1. n. mood; the condition of one’s mind, especially in regard to anger. (No plural.) 2. n. an angry mood; the potential of being angry. (No plural.) 3. tv. to soften something; to lessen the force or impact of something; to make something more moderate. → hold one’s temper → keep one’s temper → lose one’s temper temper tantrum ["tEm p# "tAn tr@m ] n. a burst of anger; a display of temper like that of a child. (Can be shortened to tantrum.) temperature ["tEm p# @ tS#] 1. n. the degree of how cold or hot something is. 2. n. the degree of the heat of one’s blood, especially when it is above average; a fever. → run a temperature tempest ["tEmp @st] n. a violent storm. a tempest in a teapot an uproar about practically nothing. temple ["tEm p@l] 1. n. a building used for worship and ceremonies. 2. n. a Jewish house of worship. 3. n. the flat part on the side of the head between the eye and the ear and above the cheekbone. temporary ["tEm p@ rEr i] adj. for a limited time; not permanent. (Adv: temporarily [ tEm p@ "rEr @ li ].) tempt ["tEmpt] tv. to arouse some- one’s desire; to make someone want something. temptation [tEmp "te S@n] 1. n. desire; an instance of being tempted. (No plural.) 2. n. some- one or something that tempts a person. temptation 629 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 629 TLFeBOOK tempted (to do something ) ["tEmp tId ] wanting to do something, especially something that one should not do. ten ["tEn] 1. 10. Go to four. 2. n. a $10 bill. tend ["tEnd] tv. to take care of something. tend to do something to be likely to do something; to be inclined to do something. tend to someone or something to mind someone or something; to take care of someone or some- thing. tendency ["tEn d@n si] n. the likeli- hood that someone or something will do something naturally. tender ["tEn d#] 1. adj. soft; not tough; easy to chew. (Adv: ten- derly.) 2. adj. sore; sore when touched; painful. (Adv: tenderly.) 3. adj. kind; gentle; showing love or affection. (Adv: tenderly.) 4. tv. to offer something formally or legally, such as to offer money in payment of a debt. → legal tender tennis ["tEn Is] n. a sport played by two people or two pairs of people who use rackets to hit a small ball from one side of the playing area, over a net, to the other side of the playing area. (No plural.) tense ["tEns] 1. adj. taut; not loose; not relaxed. (Adv: tensely. Comp: tenser; sup: tensest.) 2. adj. nerv- ous; not relaxed. (Adv: tensely. Comp: tenser; sup: tensest.) 3. tv. to tighten something, such as a muscle; to stiffen something; to make something taut. 4. n. a qual- ity of a verb that indicates the time that the action or state it expresses takes place. → past tense → present tense tense up (for something ) to become rigid or firm; to become anxious and ready for something. (Both literal and figurative uses.) tension ["tEn S@n] 1. n. the degree of tightness of something that is stretched. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. an anxious or nervous feeling; hidden anxiety or anger. tent ["tEnt] n. a temporary shelter made of fabric supported by poles and ropes. → pitch a tent tenth ["tEntT] 10th. Go to fourth. term ["t#m] 1. n. the length of time that something lasts; a particular period of time. 2. n. a division of a school year; a quarter or semester. 3. n. an expression used in a par- ticular field; a word. → come to terms with someone or something → a contradiction in terms → in terms of something terminal ["t# m@ n@l] 1. adj. hap- pening at the end of something; at the end; last. (Adv: terminally.) 2. adj. resulting in death; causing death; not able to be cured. (Adv: terminally.) 3. n. a building that passengers enter and leave from, especially at an airport, bus sta- tion, or train station. 4. n. some- thing that makes an electrical connection; the place where cur- rent enters or leaves a battery or a circuit. 5. n. a computer device consisting of a keyboard and a tempted (to do something) 630 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 630 TLFeBOOK screen that displays the informa- tion sent to and from a computer. termite ["t# maIt] n. an insect, similar to an ant, that eats wood, causing great damage to wooden objects and structures. terms 1. n. requirements; details; provisions. 2. n. charges; fees and requirements. terrace ["tEr @s] 1. n. a flat area connected to or next to the side of a house or apartment; a balcony or patio. 2. n. a flat area of land that has been cut into the side of a hill or mountain. terrain [t@ "ren] n. the physical fea- tures of an area of land. terrible ["tEr @ b@l] adj. awful; hor- rible; extremely bad. (Adv: terri- bly.) terribly ["tEr @ bli] 1. adv. badly; horribly; awfully. 2. adv. very; extremely. terrier ["tEr i #] n. one of a group of breeds of small dogs, originally bred to be used in hunting. terrific [t@ "rIf Ik] 1. adj. great; wonderful; super; excellent. (Adv: terrifically [ Ik li].) 2. adj. extreme[ly bad]. (Adv: terrifically [ Ik li].) terrify ["tEr @ faI] tv. to scare some- one or something greatly. territory ["tEr @ tor i] 1. n. land; area. (No plural.) 2. n. an area of land controlled by a specific gov- ernment, especially a government that is far away. 3. n. an area of land that is dominated by an ani- mal or group of animals. terror ["tEr #] 1. n. extreme fear. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. someone or some- thing that causes extreme fear. terrorism ["tEr # Iz @m] n. the use of violence and terror to achieve political goals. (No plural.) terrorist ["tEr # Ist] n. someone who practices terrorism. test ["tEst] 1. n. a series of ques- tions or activities that determine someone’s knowledge or skill; a school examination. 2. n. an experiment; an action that is done to see how something works. 3. tv. to determine someone’s knowl- edge or skill by evaluating answers to questions or performance of activities. 4. tv. to subject some- thing to W in order to measure its condition or see how it works. → the acid test → litmus test → put someone to the test test out (of something ) to score high enough on a special test that one does not need to take a partic- ular school course. test something out to try some- thing out; to test something to see if it works. testimony ["tEs t@ mo ni] n. the statements of a witness, especially in a court of law. (Not usually plu- ral. Treated as singular.) text ["tEkst] 1. n. the main words in a book or article, not the pictures, tables, graphs, indexes, etc. (No plural.) 2. n. the words of a speech in written form. 3. n. a book used by students in school or college. (Short for textbook.) textbook ["tEkst bUk] 1. n. a book, designed for student use, that is used as a standard source of infor- textbook 631 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 631 TLFeBOOK mation about a specific subject. (Can be shortened to text.) 2. adj. [of possible examples] the best and most typical. texture ["tEks tS#] 1. n. the even- ness or smoothness—or uneven- ness or roughness—of something. 2. n. the appearance of having Q, such as with a design on paper or in art. than ["DAn] conj. as compared with someone or something; in com- parison with someone or some- thing. (Used before the second item of a comparison.) thank ["TANk] tv. to show someone gratitude by saying “thank you”; to express gratitude for something that has been given or done. thank one’s lucky stars to be thankful for one’s luck. Thank you. 1. interj. a polite expression that is used by the receiver of an action or gift, along with “yes” or “no” in response to a question, or to show gratitude. 2. n. an expression of gratitude. (See also thanks.) 3. the adj. use of Q. (Hyphenated.) thankful ["TANk fUl] adj. grateful; showing thanks; expressing thanks. (Adv: thankfully.) thankful for small blessings grateful for any benefits or advan- tages one has, especially in a gen- erally difficult situation. thanks 1. interj. a polite expression that is used by the receiver of an action or gift, along with “yes” or “no” in response to a question, or to show gratitude. (Less formal than Thank you.) 2. n. gratitude. (Treated as plural, but not counta- ble.) → a vote of thanks Thanksgiving [TANks "gIv IN] n. a holiday celebrated in the United States and Canada as an expres- sion of individual and national gratitude. ( Thanksgiving is held on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.) that ["DAt] 1. adj. a form referring to someone or something already mentioned or someone or some- thing of which both the speaker and hearer are aware. (Prenominal only. With plural nouns, use those.) 2. adj. a form referring to someone or something further away or the furthest away from the speaker. (Used in contrast with this. Prenominal only. With plural nouns, use those.) 3. pron. a form standing for someone or some- thing already referred to or some- one or something of which both the speaker and hearer are aware. (Plural: those.) 4. pron. a form standing for someone or some- thing that is further away or the furthest away from the speaker. (Used in contrast with this. Plural: those.) 5. pron. which. (Used to connect sentences, clauses, and phrases with noun phrases. Only used with restrictive clauses. See which for an explanation. Some- times means “when” or “where” if it follows a noun phrase referring to a time or place.) 6. pron. who; whom. (Used to connect sen- tences, phrases, or clauses with noun phrases. Only where who or whom would be appropriate.) 7. pron. a form used to connect a texture 632 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 632 TLFeBOOK verb with a clause that is the object of the verb. (Only certain verbs use that in this way. This that can be omitted.) 8. adv. so; to such a degree. (E.g., [gesturing] he is that big.) That takes care of that. That is settled. that’s ["DAts] 1. cont. that is. 2. cont. that has, where has is an auxiliary. That’s the last straw. and That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. That is the final difficulty or problem that makes the burden too great or that makes the task too difficult, because many problems or difficulties have already preceded it. That’s the straw that broke the camel’s back. Go to That’s the last straw. That’s the ticket. That is exactly what is needed. thaw ["TO] 1. iv. [for ice] to melt; [for something frozen] to no longer be frozen; [for the weather] to be warm enough to melt ice or snow. 2. iv. to become less formal; to relax. (Figurative on Q.) 3. tv. to melt something; to cause some- thing to no longer be frozen. 4. n. a condition in which the weather has become warm enough to melt ice or snow. thaw out to warm up after being frozen. thaw someone or something out to raise the temperature of someone or something above freezing. the [D@, Di] 1. article a certain one; certain ones. (The definite article. Used before nouns or noun phrases to show that a definite thing, person, or group of people or things is being referred to. Pro- nounced [ "Di] when emphasized or before vowel sounds.) 2. article a form showing a general category. (Used before a noun that is used in a general sense.) 3. article a form indicating the special or specific one, the one that is being talked about. (Used before some names and titles.) theater and theatre ["Ti @ t#] 1. n. a building where movies are shown or where plays are per- formed. (The spelling theatre is used especially for buildings where plays are performed, and much less often for buildings where movies are shown.) 2. n. the busi- ness of producing plays for the stage; the study of drama, perfor- mance, and acting. (No plural.) theft ["TEft] n. stealing; taking someone else’s property without permission. (Plural only for types and instances.) their ["DE#] 1. pron. the possessive form of they; belonging to people, animals, or things that have already been mentioned. (Used only as a modifier before a noun.) 2. pron. Q standing for his E; belonging to a person who has already been mentioned. (Used to refer to a preceding noun or pro- noun, the sexual reference of which is unimportant, indetermi- nate, undetermined, or irrelevant. Adopted as a replacement for his E by those who see his E as referring to males only. Objected their 633 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 633 TLFeBOOK to by some as an unnecessary vio- lation of grammatical number when used for singular nouns.) theirs pron. the possessive form of they; belonging to people, animals, or things that have already been mentioned. them ["DEm] 1. pron. the objective form of they. (Used to refer to people, animals, and things. Used after prepositions and as the object of verbs.) 2. pron. a form standing for him W, referring to a person already mentioned. (Used to refer to a noun or pronoun, the sexual reference of which is unim- portant, indeterminate, undeter- mined, or irrelevant. Adopted as a replacement for him W by those who see him W as referring to males only. Objected to by some as an unnecessary violation of gram- matical number when used for singular nouns.) theme ["Tim] 1. n. a subject of a speech or a text; a topic. 2. n. a melody that is used to identify a certain program, movie, charac- ter, or emotion. 3. n. the main melody of a piece of music. 4. n. a visual or decorative concept that connects several parts of some- thing. 5. adj. of or about a piece of music that is readily identified with someone or something. themselves [DEm "sElvz] 1. pron. the reflexive form of they, used after a verb or a preposition when the subject of the sentence refers to the same people, animals, or things that the pronoun refers to. 2. pron. the reflexive form of they used after they or a plural noun phrase as an intensifier. → by themselves → speak for themselves then ["DEn] 1. adv. at that time. 2. adv. next; following; after that. 3. adv. therefore; in that case; so. theology [Ti "al @ dZi] n. the study and science of religion. (Plural only for types and instances.) theory ["TIr i] n. knowledge of a science or an art, as opposed to the actual practice of a science or an art; the principles on which a science or an art are based. (Plural only for types and instances.) → in theory there ["DE#] 1. adv. to or toward that place; at that place; in that place; in that respect; at that point in time; at that point during a pro- cess. (Compare this with they’re and their.) 2. adv. a form that begins a sentence or clause and is followed by a verb, which is then followed by the subject of the sen- tence. (The verb is usually be—for example, there is, there are—but it can also be go, come, stand, rest, or another verb. In questions, the verb is placed before there.) 3. pron. a particular place or location. There are plenty of other fish in the sea. There are many other choices, especially regarding the choice of a mate or a date. There will be the devil to pay. There will be lots of trouble. there’s ["DE#z] 1. cont. there has, where has is an auxiliary. 2. cont. there is. theirs 634 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 634 TLFeBOOK thermometer [T# "mam @ t#] n. a device that measures the tempera- ture of someone or something. these ["Diz] plural of this. they ["De] 1. pron. the third-person plural subject pronoun; the plural of he, she, or it. 2. pron. the third- person plural subject pronoun used as a singular. (Used to refer to a preceding noun or pronoun, the sexual reference of which is unimportant, indeterminate, undetermined, or irrelevant. Adopted as a replacement for he W by those who see he W as refer- ring to males only. Objected to by some as an unnecessary violation of grammatical number when used for singular nouns.) 3. pron. people in general; a group of peo- ple. they’d ["Ded] 1. cont. they would. 2. cont. they had, where had is an auxiliary. they’ll ["Del] cont. they will. they’re ["DE#] cont. they are. (Compare this with there, their.) they’ve ["Dev] cont. they have, where have is an auxiliary. thick ["TIk] 1. adj. not thin; having a greater than average distance between two opposite sides; hav- ing a lot of space between two opposite sides. (E.g., a thick board. Adv: thickly. Comp: thicker; sup: thickest.) 2. adj. measuring a cer- tain distance between two oppo- site sides; having a certain depth or width. (E.g., two feet thick. Comp: thicker. No superlative.) 3. adj. dense; with very little space between things. (Adv: thickly. Comp: thicker; sup: thickest.) 4. adj. not pouring easily, like glue or molasses; being liquid but not flowing easily. (Adv: thickly. Comp: thicker; sup: thickest.) 5. adj. [of air] not clear; [of air] full of water vapor, smoke, or fog. (Comp: thicker; sup: thickest.) 6. adj. [of an accent or manner of speaking] showing where the speaker is from. → (as) thick as pea soup → (as) thick as thieves → get something into someone’s thick head → get something through someone’s thick skull → lay it on thick → pour it on thick → spread it on thick → through thick and thin thick and fast in large numbers or amounts and at a rapid rate. thicken ["TIk @n] 1. tv. to cause something to become thicker. 2. iv. [for a liquid] to become thicker. → The plot thickens. thick-skinned not easily upset or hurt; insensitive to offense. thief ["Tif] n., irreg. someone who steals things. (Plural: thieves.) thieves ["Tivz] plural of thief. → (as) thick as thieves thigh ["TaI] n. [in humans and many animals] the part of the leg between the hip and the knee. thin ["TIn] 1. adj. not thick; having less than the average distance between two opposite sides; hav- ing very little space between two opposite sides. (Adv: thinly. Comp: thinner; sup: thinnest.) 2. adj. not fat; slender; slim; not having much thin 635 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 635 TLFeBOOK . house or apartment; a balcony or patio. 2. n. a flat area of land that has been cut into the side of a hill or mountain. terrain [t@ "ren] n. the physical fea- tures of an area of land. terrible. p@l] 1. n. a building used for worship and ceremonies. 2. n. a Jewish house of worship. 3. n. the flat part on the side of the head between the eye and the ear and above the cheekbone. temporary. the science and study of the mechani- cal and industrial sciences. (Plural only for types and instances.) teen ["tin] 1. n. a teenager. 2. the adj. use of Q. teenage ["tin edZ] adj. of, for,