the-

Definition of the- in English English dictionary: Variant of theo-. another form of theo-; church
thespan>: 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.
thespan>: When before a member of a class, it indicates all things in that class
The cat is a solitary creature. (= “All cats are solitary creatures.”).
thespan>: When before an adjectival noun, it indicates all persons within that grouping
Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.
thespan>: With a comparative, and often with for it, indicates a result more like said comparative. This can be negated with none
I'm much the wiser for having had a difficult time like that.
thespan>: With a superlative, it and that superlative refer to one object
That apple pie was the best.
thespan>: With a comparative or more and a verb phrase, establishes a parallel with one or more other such comparatives
It looks weaker and weaker, the more I think about it.
thespan>: 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 completely specified
A stone hit him on the head. (= “A stone hit him on his head.”).
thespan>: You use the with some titles, place names, and other names. The company was alleged to have leaked the news to the Daily Mail. the Albert Hall
thespan>: You use the at the beginning of a noun group when the first noun is followed by an `of' phrase or a clause which identifies the person or thing. There has been a slight increase in the consumption of meat Of the 9,660 cases processed last year, only 10 per cent were totally rejected
thespan>: You use the in front of a singular noun when you want to make a general statement about things or people of that type. An area in which the computer has made considerable strides in recent years is in playing chess After dogs, the horse has had the closest relationship with man
thespan>: You use the with the name of a musical instrument when you are talking about someone's ability to play the instrument. She was trying to teach him to play the guitar
thespan>: You use the in front of an adjective when you are referring to a particular thing that is described by that adjective. He knows he's wishing for the impossible I thought you might like to read the enclosed
thespan>: You use the instead of a possessive determiner, especially when you are talking about a part of someone's body or a member of their family. `How's the family?' --- `Just fine, thank you.' I patted him on the head
thespan>: You use the with words such as `rich', `poor', `old', or `unemployed' to refer to all people of a particular type. care for the elderly and the disabled
thespan>: If you want to refer to a whole family or to a married couple, you can make their surname into a plural and use the in front of it. The Taylors decided that they would employ an architect to do the work
thespan>: You use the in front of some nouns that refer to something in our general experience of the world. It's always hard to speculate about the future Amy sat outside in the sun
thespan>: You use the in front of numbers such as first, second, and third. The meeting should take place on the fifth of May Marco Polo is said to have sailed on the Pacific on his way to Java in the thirteenth century
Thespan>: tho
thespan>: one or more already known things, people, places, or concepts
thespan>: You use the in front of each of two comparative adjectives or adverbs when you are describing how one amount or quality changes in relation to another. The longer you have been in shape in the past, the quicker you will regain fitness in future
thespan>: Technical Help for Exporters (listed under BOND)
thespan>: You use the in front of superlative adjectives and adverbs. Brisk daily walks are still the best exercise for young and old alike
thespan>: (Grammar) word used to modify adjectives and adverbs and show relation between two conditions (i.e. The more I study, the more I learn)
thespan>: You use the to indicate that something or someone is the most famous, important, or best thing of its kind. In spoken English, you put more stress on it, and in written English, you often underline it or write it in capitals or italics. Camden Market is the place to be on a Saturday or Sunday
thespan>: By that; by how much; by so much; on that account; used before comparatives; as, the longer we continue in sin, the more difficult it is to reform
thespan>: You use the in front of numbers when they refer to decades. It's sometimes hard to imagine how bad things were in the thirties
thespan>: definite article used to specify one person or item in particular (Grammar)
thespan>: You use the at the beginning of noun groups to refer to someone or something that you have already mentioned or identified. A waiter came and hovered. John caught my look and we both got up and, ignoring the waiter, made our way to the buffet Six of the 38 people were Russian citizens
thespan>: A word placed before nouns to limit or individualize their meaning
thespan>: You use the to indicate that you have enough of the thing mentioned for a particular purpose. She may not have the money to maintain or restore her property We must have the patience to continue to work until we will find a peaceful solution = sufficient
thespan>: The is the definite article. It is used at the beginning of noun groups. The is usually pronounced before a consonant and before a vowel, but pronounced when you are emphasizing it
thespan>: You use the with nationality adjectives and nouns to talk about the people who live in a country. The Japanese, Americans, and even the French and Germans, judge economic policies by results
thespan>: You use the in front of nouns that refer to people, things, services, or institutions that are associated with everyday life. The doctor's on his way Who was that on the phone?
thespan>: {a} article, denoting some particular thing
thé dansant: {i} (from French) dansant, tea dance, type of social event of drinking tea and dancing held in late afternoon