fat on one’s body. (Adv: thinly. Comp: thinner; sup: thinnest.) 3. adj. not dense; spread out. (Adv: thinly. Comp: thinner; sup: thinnest.) 4. adj. not thick; [of a liquid] containing a lot of water; flowing easily. (Adv: thinly. Comp: thinner; sup: thinnest.) 5. tv. to make something runnier or R. → on thin ice → out of thin air → pull something out of thin air → skate on thin ice → spread oneself too thin → through thick and thin → vanish into thin air thin down to become thinner or slimmer. thin on top balding. (Informal.) thin out to spread out; to become less dense. thin something out to make some- thing less dense; to scatter some- thing. thing ["TIN] 1. n. any object; an object whose name is not known; an object whose name is not important. 2. n. an event; an action; a deed; a statement; an idea. → amount to the same thing (as something ) → first thing (in the morning) → First things first. → get into the swing of things → One thing leads to another. → see things → the very thing think ["TINk] 1. iv., irreg. to use one’s mind; to have thoughts or opinions; to form ideas in the mind. (Past tense and past partici- ple: thought.) 2. iv., irreg. to be able to use one’s mind; to have the ability to use one’s mind. 3. tv., irreg. to have a certain belief or opinion; to believe something. (The object can be a clause with that U.) → come to think of it → hardly have time to think → put on one’s thinking cap → wishful thinking think back (on someone or some- thing ) to think about someone or something as a memory from the past. think back (to something ) to remember something in the past. think better of something to reconsider something; to think again and decide not to do some- thing. think on one’s feet to think while one is talking. think something out to go through something in one’s mind; to think through something. think something over to think about something and whether one will choose to do it. think something through to con- sider something carefully and try to settle it in one’s mind. think something up to invent some- thing. think the world of someone or something to be very fond of someone or something. thin-skinned easily upset or hurt; sensitive. third ["T#d] 3rd. Go to fourth. thirdly ["T#d li] adv. in the third place; as a third point of discus- sion. thin down 636 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 636 TLFeBOOK thirst ["T#st] n. the feeling caused by having nothing to drink; the need to drink. (No plural.) a thirst for something a craving or desire for something. thirsty ["T#s ti] adj. needing to drink; having had nothing to drink; having thirst. (Adv: thirstily. Comp: thirstier; sup: thirstiest.) thirsty for something craving or desiring something. thirteen ["T#t "tin] 13. Go to four. thirteenth ["T#t "tinT] 13th. Go to fourth. thirtieth ["T#t i @T] 30th. Go to fourth. thirty ["T#t i] 30. Go to forty. this ["DIs] 1. adj. a form referring to a thing or person that has already been referred to or is obvious and present; a form referring to an object that one is pointing to or otherwise indicating. (Prenominal only. Use these with plural nouns.) 2. adj. a form introducing a thing or person new to the conversation. (Colloquial. Prenominal only. Use these with plural nouns.) 3. adj. a form referring to the thing, per- son, or point in time that is closer or the closest to the speaker. (Used in contrast with that. Prenominal only. Use these with plural nouns.) 4. pron. a form standing for a thing or person that has already been mentioned or is obvious and present. (Plural: these.) 5. pron. a form standing for the thing, per- son, or point in time that is closer or the closest to the speaker. (Used in contrast with that. Plural: these.) 6. adv. to the indicated degree. (E.g., [gesturing] he is this big.) thorn ["Torn] n. a sharp, pointed growth on a plant. → be a thorn in someone’s side thorough ["T# o] adj. complete; done with great attention and in great detail. (Adv: thoroughly.) those ["Doz] 1. plural of that. 2. pron. the people [who do some- thing]. 3. adj. a form referring to people or things already men- tioned or people or things of which both the speaker and hearer are aware. (Prenominal only. With singular nouns, use that.) 4. adj. a form referring to people or things farther away or the farthest away from the speaker. (Used in con- trast with these. Prenominal only. With singular nouns, use that.) though ["Do] 1. conj. in spite of something; in spite of the fact that; although. 2. adv. however. → as though thought ["TOt] 1. past tense and past participle of think. 2. n. thinking; attention; time taken to think about an idea. (No plural.) 3. n. an idea; an opinion; some- thing that one thinks. → food for thought → get second thoughts about someone or something → lose one’s train of thought → lost in thought → not give it another thought → on second thought → Perish the thought. → school of thought thousand ["TaU z@nd] 1. n. 1,000; the number between 999 and 1,001. (Additional numbers thousand 637 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 637 TLFeBOOK formed as with two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, etc.) 2. n. a group of 1,000 people or things. → one in a thousand thousandth ["TaU z@ndT] 1,000th. Go to fourth. thrash something out to discuss something thoroughly and solve any problems. thread ["TrEd] 1. n. fine string, made of twisted strands of cotton, silk, or other fiber, that is used to sew pieces of cloth together or is woven to make cloth. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. a very thin strand of something; a length of Q. 3. n. a theme or idea that links parts of an argument or a story. (Figurative on W.) 4. n. the raised ridge that wraps around the length of a screw or a bolt. (Usually plural, but not counta- ble.) 5. tv. to pass Q through something, usually a needle. 6. tv. to place something on Q or on string, wire, etc. → hang by a thread thread one’s way through some- thing to make a path for oneself through a crowded area; to move slowly through a crowded area. thread through something to travel through a crowded area; to travel through an area where there are many obstacles. threat ["TrEt] 1. n. a warning; a statement or action that indicates that someone is going to hurt or punish someone in a certain way. 2. n. a sign of danger; a sign that something harmful or dangerous is going to happen. threaten ["TrEt n] 1. tv. to express a threat against someone. (The object can be a clause with that U.) 2. iv. to be a threat; to be an indication of danger. threaten to do something [for someone or something] to make a threat to do something. three ["Tri] 3. Go to four. → like a three-ring circus → Two’s company(, three’s a crowd). threw ["Tru] past tense of throw. thrift ["TrIft] n. the careful use of money and things; the habit of not wasting money or things. (No plu- ral.) thrifty ["TrIf ti] the adj. form of thrift. thrill ["TrIl] 1. n. an intense feeling of emotion, especially excitement, enjoyment, or fear. 2. tv. to cause someone to feel full of emotion, especially excitement, enjoyment, or fear. thrive ["TraIv] 1. iv., irreg. to grow and survive; to develop in a very healthy way. (Past tense: throve or thrived; past participle: thrived or thriven.) 2. iv., irreg. to be success- ful; to become very rich. thriven ["TrIv @n] a past participle of thrive. throat ["Trot] 1. n. the front of the neck. 2. n. the inside of the neck, where food and air pass. → cut one’s (own) throat → get a lump in one’s throat → have a frog in one’s throat → have one’s words stick in one’s throat → one’s words stick in one’s throat thousandth 638 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 638 TLFeBOOK throb ["Trab] 1. iv. to beat strongly and quickly, as with the beating of the heart or some other pulse. 2. iv. to have a pain that occurs with each heartbeat. 3. n. one beat in a series of strong, quick beats. throne ["Tron] 1. n. the chair that a king, queen, or other ruler or important person sits on. 2. n. the position held by a king, queen, or other ruler or important person. throng in(to something ) [for a crowd] to swarm into something or someplace. throng out (of something ) [for a crowd] to swarm out of something or someplace. through ["Tru] 1. prep. from the outside of one end of something, into it, to the other end of it, and out of the other side of it. 2. prep. because of something; on account of something. 3. prep. moving throughout or within something. 4. prep. during the entire time from beginning to end; during the entire way from start to finish. 5. adv. in one side and out the other. 6. adv. from beginning to end; from start to finish. 7. adj. finished; done. through thick and thin through good times and bad times. throughout [Tru "aUt] prep. in every part of something; during every moment of something. throve ["Trov] a past tense of thrive. throw ["Tro] 1. tv., irreg. to send something through the air; to hurl something; to cause something to move through the air. (Past tense: threw; past participle: thrown.) 2. tv., irreg. to put someone or something someplace carelessly, with force, or in a hurry. 3. tv., irreg. [for an animal] to cause a rider to fall off. 4. tv., irreg. to move a switch in order to start or stop the flow of electricity. 5. tv., irreg. to cause someone to be in a certain condition, especially a confused one. → a stone’s throw away throw caution to the wind to become very careless. throw cold water on something Go to pour cold water on something . throw good money after bad to waste additional money after hav- ing wasted money once before. throw in the sponge Go to throw in the towel. throw in the towel and throw in the sponge to quit (doing some- thing). throw oneself at someone’s feet to bow down humbly at someone’s feet. throw oneself at the mercy of the court Go to throw oneself on the mercy of the court. throw oneself on the mercy of the court and throw oneself at the mercy of the court to plead for mercy from a judge in a court- room. throw someone a curve and pitch someone a curve 1. to pitch a curveball to someone in baseball. 2. to confuse someone by doing something unexpected. throw someone a curve 639 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 639 TLFeBOOK throw someone for a loop and knock someone for a loop to confuse or shock someone. throw someone over (for someone else) to break up with a lover in favor of someone else. throw someone to the wolves to sacrifice someone to something or some fate. throw something into the bargain to include something in a deal. throw something off to cast some- thing, such as a coat, off one’s body. throw something together to assemble or create something in a hurry. throw something up 1. to build or erect something in a hurry. 2. to vomit something. throw up to vomit. thrown ["Tron] past participle of throw. thrust ["Tr^st] 1. tv., irreg. to push someone or something forward with force; to push someone or something in a certain direction with force. (Past tense and past participle: thrust.) 2. tv., irreg. to drive a sharp object at or into someone or something. 3. iv., irreg. to move forward with force; to lunge, especially with a sharp object. 4. n. a forceful movement in a certain direction; a lunge; a stab. thrust out to stick out; to stab out- ward; to protrude outward. thrust someone or something back to push someone or something backward and away. thud ["T^d] n. the dull sound of something heavy falling onto, or hitting, something firm but unbreakable. thumb ["T^m] 1. n. the first and shortest finger on the hand, sepa- rate from the other four, having two knuckles instead of three. 2. n. the part of a glove or mitten that covers Q. → all thumbs → get someone under one’s thumb → have a green thumb → rule of thumb → twiddle one’s thumbs thumb a ride and hitch a ride to get a ride from a passing motorist; to make a sign with one’s thumb that indicates to passing drivers that one is begging for a ride. thumb one’s nose at someone or something to (figuratively or liter- ally) make a rude gesture of dis- gust with one’s thumb and nose at someone or something. thumbnail ["T^m nel] n. the nail on one’s thumb. thumbnail sketch small; short; brief. thumbtack ["T^m tAk] 1. n. a tack with a large, flat head that is pressed with one’s thumb to drive the pointed part into a surface. (See also tack.) 2. tv. to attach something to a surface with Q. thump ["T^mp] 1. n. the sound made by hitting someone or some- thing with something hard or against something hard. 2. tv. to hit someone or something with something hard; to hit someone or something against something hard. throw someone for a loop 640 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 640 TLFeBOOK thunder ["T^n d#] 1. n. the loud noise that follows lightning. (No plural.) 2. n. any loud noise or explosion that sounds like Q. 3. iv. [for weather conditions] to make Q. 4. iv. to make a noise like Q; to walk or move, making noise like Q. → steal someone’s thunder thundershower ["T^n d# SaU #] n. rain with thunder and lightning. thunderstorm ["T^n d# storm] n. a storm with thunder and light- ning. Thursday ["T#Z de] Go to day. thus ["D^s] adv. therefore; for this reason; for these reasons; as a result. tick ["tIk] 1. n. the short, quiet sound made by a watch or a clock. 2. n. a small, flat insect that attaches to the skin of animals and sucks their blood. 3. n. a mark that is made when counting something or checking something. 4. iv. [for a clock, watch, or other timepiece] to make a short, quiet sound each second. → (as) full as a tick → (as) tight as a tick → make someone or something tick → what makes someone tick ticket ["tIk It] 1. n. a piece of paper that shows that its owner has paid for transportation or for entrance into a place. 2. n. a piece of paper that is given as a receipt when one leaves something at a repair shop, cleaners, or other business so that one can get the item back. 3. n. a piece of paper that is given to someone who has broken a traffic or parking law, requiring that per- son to pay a fine or appear in court. → That ’s the ticket. → vote a split ticket → vote a straight ticket tickle ["tIk @l] 1. tv. to touch a per- son’s body in a way that causes him or her to laugh. 2. tv. to amuse someone. (Figurative on Q.) 3. iv. to cause a feeling that causes someone to laugh. 4. n. an itchy feeling; a feeling that one needs to scratch, cough, or sneeze. tickle someone’s fancy to interest someone; to make someone curi- ous. ticklish ["tIk lIS] 1. adj. sensitive to tickling; likely to laugh when tick- led. (Adv: ticklishly.) 2. adj. diffi- cult; hard to answer; delicate; requiring careful thought or action. (Figurative on Q. Adv: ticklishly.) tide ["taId] n. the rise and fall of the ocean, caused by the pull of the sun and the moon. tide someone over (until some- thing ) to supply someone [with something] until a certain time or until something happens. → swim against the tide → turn the tide tidy ["taI di] 1. adj. very neat; orderly; not messy. (Adv: tidily. Comp: tidier; sup: tidiest.) 2. tv. to make something Q. tidy something up to clean some- thing up; to make something more orderly. tidy up to clean up [oneself or a place]. tie ["taI] 1. tv. to form string, rope, cord, or thread into a knot or bow, tie 641 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 641 TLFeBOOK often as a way to connect it to something or to join two pieces or ends together. (Present participle: tying.) 2. tv. to join someone in occupying the same position in a list that ranks a group of things; to have the same score as the oppo- site player or team. 3. iv. [for two teams] to have the same score; to occupy the same position as some- one else in a list that ranks a group of things. 4. n. a necktie; a strip of cloth that is looped around the neck and tied as in Q so there is a knot at the neck and the two ends hang down in front of one’s shirt. 5. n. a result of a game where both teams or players have the same score; a ranking where two or more people or things have the same rank. → have one’s hands tied → one’s hands are tied → sever ties with someone → with both hands tied behind one’s back → with one hand tied behind one’s back tie in (with someone or something ) to join with someone or some- thing; to connect with someone or something. tie in(to something ) to fasten or connect to something. tie someone down (to someone or something ) to encumber some- thing with someone or something; to make someone responsible to or for someone or something. tie someone in knots to make someone anxious or upset. tie someone or something down to fasten someone or something down by tying or binding. tie someone or something in(to something ) to seek to establish a connection between someone or something and some event or occurrence. tie someone or something up to keep someone or something busy or occupied. tie someone’s hands to prevent someone from doing something. tie something back to bind or fas- ten something back out of the way. tie something (up) to fasten some- thing with string, rope, cord, or thread. tie the knot to get married. tied to one’s mother’s apron strings dominated by one’s mother; dependent on one’s mother. tiger ["taI g#] n. a large, fierce ani- mal that is a member of the cat family and has orange or yellow fur with black stripes. tight ["taIt] 1. adj. not loose; hav- ing no extra room on the sides or around the edges; fitting closely. (Adv: tightly. Comp: tighter; sup: tightest.) 2. adj. [of a schedule] having no extra time; having no appointments available. (Figura- tive on Q. Adv: tightly. Comp: tighter; sup: tightest.) 3. adj. closely held; firmly fastened; fixed. (Adv: tightly. Comp: tighter; sup: tightest.) 4. adj. stretched; taut. (Adv: tightly. Comp: tighter; sup: tightest.) 5. adv. in a manner that is Q; firmly; closely. (Comp: tighter; sup: tightest.) → (as) tight as a tick → in a (tight) spot tie in (with someone or something) 642 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 642 TLFeBOOK → keep a tight rein on someone or something → run a tight ship → sit tight tighten ["taIt n] 1. tv. to make something tight; to make some- thing tighter. 2. iv. to become tight; to become tighter. tighten one’s belt to manage to spend less money. tighten something up to make something tighter. tighten up 1. [for something] to get tighter. 2. [for someone or a group] to become miserly. tightrope ["taIt rop] n. a rope or cable that is stretched tight, high above the ground, and on which acrobats perform. → walk a tightrope tights n. a garment that is worn below the waist and fits closely against one’s body, generally worn by women and dancers; panty- hose. (Treated as plural. Number is expressed with pair(s) of tights.) tile ["taIl] 1. n. baked clay or ceramic material formed into use- ful shapes for construction and decoration. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. a thin, formed piece of Q used for cover- ing floors, walls, roofs, and other surfaces in buildings and houses. 3. n. a square of soft material that absorbs sound and provides deco- ration, used in the construction of ceilings. 4. tv. to cover a surface with W or a similar substance. 5. iv. to work by covering surfaces with W. till ["tIl] 1. tv. to plow land; to pre- pare soil for planting. 2. n. the drawer in a cash register or counter where money is kept in a place of business. 3. prep. until; up to a certain time; during a period of time up to a certain time. 4. conj. until; up to a certain time. 5. conj. until; before. → have one’s hand in the till tilt ["tIlt] 1. tv. to turn something to its side; to slant something. 2. iv. to be turned to the side; to be tipped; to slant; to slope. tilt at windmills to fight battles with imaginary enemies; to fight against unimportant enemies or issues. (As with the fictional char- acter Don Quixote, who attacked windmills, imagining them to be enemies.) timber ["tIm b#] 1. n. trees that are growing; a forest; woods. (No plu- ral.) 2. n. a thick length of wood. time ["taIm] 1. n. every moment that ever was, is now, and ever will be; a continuous state of being from the past, through now, and into the future. (No plural.) 2. n. a period of Q; a period of Q between two events. (No plural.) 3. n. the amount of Q that it takes to do something. (No plural.) 4. n. an exact moment in the passage of Q; some moment in the passage of Q. 5. n. the appropriate moment, day, week, etc., to do something. (No plural.) 6. n. an occasion of doing something; an instance of something being done. 7. tv. to measure the existence of something that is happening; to measure how long or how fast it takes someone to do something. 8. tv. to determine the best R for time 643 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 643 TLFeBOOK doing something, and do it then. 9. tv. to set or arrange something so that it does something at a cer- tain time as in R. → ahead of one’s time → get time to catch one’s breath → hardly have time to think → have the time of one’s life → in one’s spare time → in less than no time → in the nick of time → in the right place at the right time → in the wrong place at the wrong time → in time → in times past → invest ( someone’s ) time in something → keep up (with the times) → kill time → Long time no see. → make up for lost time → run out of time → the sands of time → serve time → since time immemorial → when the time is ripe time flies time passes very quickly. (From the Latin tempus fugit.) Time hangs heavy on someone’s hands. Time seems to go slowly when one has nothing to do. time in to record one’s arrival time. time off a period of time during which one does not have to work; free time. time out to record one’s departure time. time someone in to record some- one’s arrival time. time someone out to record some- one’s departure time. time was (when) there was a time when; at a time in the past. timepiece ["taIm pis] n. a device, especially a clock or a watch, that keeps track of time. timer ["taIm #] n. someone or something that records time, espe- cially a device that can be set to indicate when a certain amount of time has passed. times 1. n. periods of time and the events that occurred during them. 2. prep. multiplied by a number. (Represented by the symbol (ϫ).) timid ["tIm Id] adj. full of fear; eas- ily scared. (Adv: timidly. Comp: timider; sup: timidest.) tin ["tIn] 1. n. a metal that is mixed with other metals to make bronze and is used as a coating for steel so that the steel doesn’t rust. (No plu- ral.) 2. n. a can or a container made of Q or plated with Q, or a modern steel can containing no Q. (Usually limited to containers that hold cookies, crackers, and sardines. Can is used more fre- quently.) 3. adj. made of or coated with Q. tinge ["tIndZ] 1. n. a very small amount of something, such as a color or an emotion. 2. tv. to add to or improve something with a small amount of something. tingle ["tIN g@l] 1. n. a light prickly or stinging feeling, as though one received a small shock or thrill. 2. iv. to experience a light stinging feeling, as though one has received a small shock or thrill. tinker (around) (with something ) to meddle with something; to play with something, trying to get it to work or work better. time flies 644 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 644 TLFeBOOK tinkle ["tIN k@l] 1. n. a short, quiet, high-pitched ring or clinking sound something like a soft jingle. 2. iv. to ring in a short, quiet, high-pitched way. tint ["tInt] 1. n. a color; a weakened shade of a color. 2. tv. to color something slightly; to give a small amount of color to something; to dye hair with Q. tinted ["tIn t@d] adj. slightly col- ored. tiny ["taI ni] adj. very small. (Adv: tinily. Comp: tinier; sup: tiniest.) tip ["tIp] 1. n. the very end part of an object; the top of an object. 2. n. money that is given to some- one for a service. 3. n. a hint; a suggestion; a piece of advice. 4. tv. to lean something to the side; to cause something to slant. 5. tv. to give someone money for a service; to leave someone W. (E.g., tip the porter.) 6. tv. to give a certain sum or percentage of money in grati- tude for service. (E.g., tip 15 per- cent for good service.) 7. iv. to lean to the side; to slant. 8. iv. to give people money for their services. → on the tip of one’s tongue tip someone off (about someone or something ) and tip someone off (on someone or something ) to give someone a valuable piece of news about someone or some- thing. tip someone off (on someone or something ) Go to tip someone off (about someone or something ). tip something over to cause some- thing to fall over. tip the scales at something to weigh some amount. tiptoe ["tIp to] 1. n. the tips of the toes, referring to walking on the toes. 2. iv. to walk on the tips of one’s toes; to walk very quietly or lightly. → on tiptoe tire ["taI#] n. a circular structure of rubber that surrounds a wheel and is filled with air. → flat tire tire of someone or something to become impatient with someone or something. tire (out) to become weary or exhausted. tire someone out to cause someone to become exhausted, sleepy, or weary. tired ["taI#d] 1. adj. sleepy; want- ing to sleep; exhausted. (Adv: tiredly.) 2. adj. impatient with someone or something; annoyed with someone or something. (Adv: tiredly.) → sick (and tired) of someone or something tiring ["taIr IN] adj. causing one to become tired, especially because it requires a lot of energy, patience, or attention; exhausting. (Adv: tir- ingly.) tissue ["tIS ju] 1. n. a very soft piece of paper that is used to wipe the skin or for blowing the nose. 2. n. a part of a plant or an animal that is made of many cells having the same function; the group of cells in a plant or animal that form a particular organ. (Plural only for types and instances.) tissue 645 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 645 TLFeBOOK . numbers thousand 637 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 637 TLFeBOOK formed as with two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, etc.) 2. n. a group of 1,000 people or things. → one in a thousand thousandth. out (of something ) [for a crowd] to swarm out of something or someplace. through ["Tru] 1. prep. from the outside of one end of something, into it, to the other end of it, and out of the. n. a thin, formed piece of Q used for cover- ing floors, walls, roofs, and other surfaces in buildings and houses. 3. n. a square of soft material that absorbs sound and provides deco- ration,