ði: before a
vowel adj. & adv. --adj. (called the
definite article) 1 denoting
one or
more persons or things
already mentioned,
under discussion, implied, or
familiar (gave the
man a
wave;
shall let the
matter drop;
hurt myself in the arm;
went to the theatre). 2
serving to
describe as
unique (the
Queen; the Thames). 3 a (foll. by defining adj.)
which is,
who are, etc. (ignored the embarrassed Mr
Smith; Edward the Seventh). b (foll. by adj. used absol.) denoting a
class described (from the
sublime to the ridiculous). 4
best known or best entitled to the
name (with the stressed: no
relation to the Kipling;
this is the
book on this subject). 5 used to
indicate a
following defining
clause or
phrase (the book
that you borrowed; the best I can do
for you; the
bottom of a well). 6 a used to indicate that a
singular noun represents a
species, class, etc. (the
cat loves
comfort;
has the novel a future?; plays the
harp well). b used
with a noun which figuratively represents an
occupation,
pursuit, etc. (went on the
stage;
too fond of the bottle). c (foll. by the name of a unit) a,
per (5p in the pound; ø5 the
square metre;
allow 8 minutes to the mile). d colloq. or
archaic designating a
disease,
affliction, etc. (the
measles; the
toothache; the blues). 7 (foll. by a
unit of time) the present, the
current (man of the
moment; questions of the
day; book of the month). 8
Brit. colloq.
my,
our (the
dog; the fridge). 9 used before the
surname of the
chief of a
Scottish or
Irish clan (the Macnab). 10
dial. (esp. in Wales) used with a noun characterizing the occupation of the
person whose name precedes (Jones the Bread). --adv. (preceding comparatives in expressions of
proportional variation) in or by that (or
such a)
degree; on that
account (the more the merrier; the more he gets the more he wants). øall the in the full degree to be expected (that makes it
all the worse). so
much the (tautologically) so much, in that degree (so much the
worse for him). [(adj.) OE, replacing
se, seo, thót (= THAT), f. Gmc: (adv.) f. OE
thy, the,
instrumental case]
