title ["taIt @l] 1. n. the name of a book, movie, song, play, picture, or poem. 2. n. a word, often abbreviated, that is placed before a person’s name, indicating rank, profession, or social position. 3. n. the official name of a job or posi- tion. 4. n. an official document showing that someone owns something. (Compare this with deed W.) 5. tv. to give something Q. tizzy ["tIz i] an excited and con- fused condition; a fuss. → in a tizzy to [tu, t@] 1. prep. in the direction of someone or something; toward someone or something; in the direction of a place, position, or condition; toward and reaching a place to which one is going. 2. prep. as far as some time, place, thing, or person; until; through. (Often indicated with a hyphen or short dash, as in “1997–1999.”) 3. prep. a form that marks the indirect object of a verb, showing the action of a verb toward some- one or something. 4. prep. for each; in each; included in each. 5. prep. as far as someone or some- thing; against someone or some- thing. 6. prep. before a certain time. 7. the marker of the infini- tive form of verbs. (This use of to is often considered to be a prepo- sition, but it has none of the quali- ties of a preposition.) to one’s heart’s content as much as one wants. to the ends of the earth every- where possible, even to the remotest and most inaccessible points on the earth. to wit namely; that is; that is to say. toad ["tod] n. a small animal simi- lar to a frog, but which lives mostly on land. toast ["tost] 1. n. sliced bread that has been browned by heat. (No plural. Number is expressed with piece(s) or slice(s) of toast.) 2. n. a statement made before an invita- tion for everyone present to take a drink in approval or agreement. 3. tv. to brown a slice of bread by heating it; to brown something by heating it. 4. tv. to warm some- thing, especially marshmallows, over a fire. 5. tv. to honor some- one or something by taking a drink; to drink to the honor of someone or something. → propose a toast toaster ["tos t#] n. an electrical appliance that toasts bread. tobacco [t@ "bAk o] n. a plant whose leaves are dried to be smoked in cigars, cigarettes, or pipes or to be chewed. (Plural only for types and instances.) toboggan [t@ "bag @n] 1. n. a long sled without blades. 2. iv. to ride on Q; to go down hills on Q. today [t@ "de] 1. n. this day; the current day. 2. n. in this period of time. 3. adv. in the current age or general time period. 4. adv. on this day. toe ["to] 1. n. one of the fingerlike projections on the front of the foot; one of the digits on one’s foot. 2. n. the part of a shoe, boot, sock, or other piece of footwear title 646 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 646 TLFeBOOK that covers or encloses one or more Q. → on one’s toes → step on someone’s toes → tread on someone’s toes toe the line Go to toe the mark. toe the mark and toe the line to do what one is expected to do; to follow the rules. toenail ["to nel] n. the thin, hard plate that covers the front part of the end of the toe. together [t@ "gE D#] 1. adv. as one group of people or things. 2. adv. at the same time; simultaneously. → band together (against someone or something ) → blend something together (with something ) → crowd together → draw some people together → flock together → hang together → huddle (up) (together) → keep body and soul together → lump people or things together → mesh together → patch something together (with something ) → piece something together → put two and two together → room together → slap something together → stick together → throw something together → toss something together toil ["toIl] 1. n. hard work; hard labor; work that requires a lot of physical energy or effort. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. iv. to work hard; to labor; to do work that requires a lot of physical energy or effort. toilet ["toI l@t] 1. n. a bathroom; a room that has W; a restroom. 2. n. a strong, ceramic bowl, connected to a drain and having a seat attached to it, into which one expels urine or feces. → go to the toilet toilet paper ["toI l@t pe p#] n. very thin, usually soft paper that is used to cleanse the affected areas of one’s body after one has used the toilet. (No plural.) token ["tok @n] 1. n. a sign of something; a reminder of some- thing; visible proof of something; evidence of something. 2. n. a small piece of metal, similar to a coin, that is used instead of money. 3. adj. only serving as a symbol of something; done solely for the way it will appear to others. → by the same token told ["told] past tense and past par- ticiple of tell. → a little bird told me tolerant ["tal @ r@nt] adj. willing to allow others to do something or to live the way they want to. (Adv: tolerantly.) tolerate ["tal @ ret] tv. to endure someone or something; to manage to accept someone or something. toll ["tol] 1. n. a fee paid for the privilege of doing something, especially traveling on certain routes. 2. n. the extra charge for certain telephone calls that are not local. 3. iv. [for a bell] to ring slowly and repeatedly. 4. tv. to ring a bell slowly and repeatedly. tomato [t@ "me to] 1. n. a round, soft red fruit that grows on a vine and is eaten as food. (Plural ends in -es.) 2. adj. made or flavored with Q. tomato 647 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 647 TLFeBOOK tomb ["tum] n. an enclosure in which someone is buried, espe- cially a structure that is above ground level. tombstone ["tum ston] n. a grave marker; a large slab of stone at a grave that shows who is buried at that place and when that person was alive. tomorrow [t@ "mar o] 1. n. the day after today. (Usually singular.) 2. n. the future. (No plural.) 3. adv. during Q; at some time during Q. ton ["t^n] n. a unit of measure of weight equal to 2,000 pounds. (Also called a short ton; used in the United States and Canada.) → hit ( someone ) like a ton of bricks tone ["ton] 1. n. a sound as it relates to its quality, intensity, or pitch. 2. n. a quality of one’s voice that reveals one’s feelings or attitude. 3. n. a style, character, or mood of an event or circumstance. 4. n. firmness of the muscles. (No plural.) → dial tone tone something down to cause something to have less of an impact on the senses of sight or sound; to lessen the impact of something prepared for public performance or consumption. tongs ["tONz] n. a tool or utensil that has two arms joined by a hinge or spring and is used for holding or moving something. (Treated as plural. Number is expressed with pair(s) of tongs.) → fight someone or something hammer and tongs → go at it hammer and tongs tongue ["t^N] 1. n. the long, typi- cally pink, movable organ in the mouth, used for tasting, managing food, and, in humans, speaking. 2. n. the Q of an animal, eaten as food. (No plural.) 3. n. a language. 4. n. the flap of material that is part of a shoe and fits under the laces. 5. n. a flame; a pointed sec- tion of fire. → bite one’s tongue → cause (some) tongues to wag → hold one’s tongue → keep a civil tongue (in one’s head) → on the tip of one’s tongue → slip of the tongue → speak with a forked tongue tongue-in-cheek insincere; jok- ing. tonic ["tan Ik] 1. n. a remedy; something that is good for one’s health; something that provides strength. 2. n. a kind of flavored soda water that is somewhat bitter. tonight [t@ "naIt] 1. n. this evening; this night. 2. adv. during Q; at some time during Q. tonsil ["tan s@l] n. one of two small organs in the very back of the mouth at the side of the throat. too ["tu] 1. adv. as well; also; in addition. 2. adv. more than enough; more than is desired; beyond what is desired. 3. adv. very; extremely. 4. adv. a form used after be, will, do, have, can, should, would, and could to strengthen them in response to a negative statement. too good to be true almost unbe- lievable; so good as to be unbeliev- able. took ["tUk] Past participle of take. tomb 648 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 648 TLFeBOOK tool ["tul] 1. n. anything that helps someone work; an instrument that is used to help someone do work. 2. n. someone who is used by someone else, especially in an unfair way. (Figurative on Q.) tool something up to equip a fac- tory or production line with tools and machines. tool up to become equipped with tools. toolshed ["tul SEd] n. a small building where gardening tools are stored. toot ["tut] 1. n. a short blast of a horn or a whistle. 2. tv. to cause a horn or whistle to make a short noise. toot one’s own horn and blow one’s own horn to boast about oneself; to praise oneself. tooth ["tuT] 1. n., irreg. one of the hard, usually white, bony objects in the mouth, used for biting and chewing while eating. (Plural: teeth.) 2. n., irreg. something shaped like Q, especially a small pointed object on a wheel that is part of a machine, the “fingers” of a rake, or the points along the length of a comb or saw. → fight someone or something tooth and nail → go at it tooth and nail → go over something with a fine- tooth comb → have a sweet tooth → search something with a fine- tooth comb → sweet tooth toothache ["tuT ek] n. a pain in or around a tooth. toothbrush ["tuT br@S] n. a small brush that is used for cleaning the teeth. toothpaste ["tuT pest] n. a paste that is placed on a toothbrush and is used for cleaning the teeth. (Plural only for types and instances.) toothpick ["tuT pIk] n. a small, thin piece of wood that is used to remove pieces of food from between one’s teeth. top ["tap] 1. n. the highest part of something; the upper part of something; the peak of something; the upper surface of something. 2. n. the highest position; the highest rank; the most successful position; the most important posi- tion. 3. n. a cover; a cap; a lid. 4. n. a piece of clothing worn above the waist, especially on women. 5. adj. on or at the highest part of some- thing. 6. adj. first; best; most important. 7. adj. greatest; strongest; at the highest intensity. 8. tv. to place something on the highest part of something; to place something on something else. → at the top of one’s lungs → at the top of one’s voice → from the top → from top to bottom → in top form → off the top of one’s head → on top → on top of the world → over the top → thin on top top something off (with some- thing ) 1. to celebrate an end to a task with an event. 2. to complete the top of something, such as a building. top something off (with something) 649 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 649 TLFeBOOK topic ["tap Ik] n. the subject of something that is being written or talked about. topple over [for something very tall] to fall over. torch ["tortS] 1. n. a large stick or club whose upper end is on fire. 2. n. a machine that makes a very hot flame, used to cut or join together pieces of metal by melt- ing them. 3. tv. to set something on fire; to destroy something with fire. → carry a torch (for someone ) → carry the torch tore ["tor] a past tense of tear. torment 1. ["tor mEnt] n. a severe emotional or physical pain; agony. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. [tor "mEnt] tv. to cause someone severe pain or agony; to cause someone to suffer. torn ["torn] 1. a past participle of tear. 2. adj. having a tear; ripped. torn between something and something else troubled by a choice or dilemma. tornado [tor "ne do] n. a violent wind that spins in circles very fast and can cause a great amount of damage. (Plural ends in -s or -es.) torpedo [tor "pi do] 1. n. an explo- sive device that is fired underwater from a submarine or ship toward another submarine or ship. (Plural ends in -es.) 2. tv. to attack some- thing with Q; to explode some- thing by firing Q at it. tortoise ["tor t@s] n. a turtle, espe- cially one that only lives on land. torture ["tor tS#] 1. n. the inflict- ing of pain in a cruel way. (No plural.) 2. tv. to cause someone to suffer pain in a cruel way. toss ["tOs] 1. tv. to throw some- thing lightly or gently; to throw something carelessly. 2. tv. to lift and throw something upward; to cause something to move as if it had been thrown. 3. tv. to flip a coin into the air in order to decide a choice based on which side of the coin appears when it falls; to roll dice. 4. iv. to turn; to move restlessly. 5. iv. to be thrown, espe- cially by water; to be moved with force. 6. n. an instance of throw- ing something. toss a salad to mix the lettuce and vegetables of a salad together with dressing. toss one’s hat into the ring to state that one is running for an elective office. toss something together to assem- ble something hastily. total ["tot @l] 1. n. the whole amount; the sum; the number obtained by adding other numbers together. 2. adj. whole; complete; entire. (Adv: totally.) 3. tv. to cal- culate Q. 4. tv. to come to a cer- tain amount; to reach a certain amount. → grand total total something up to add up the total of something. totally ["tot @ li] adv. completely; entirely. tote ["tot] tv. to carry something. touch ["t^tS] 1. tv. to place one’s finger, hand, or some other body part on someone or something. 2. tv. to place one object against topic 650 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 650 TLFeBOOK another; to place one object on another. 3. tv. to border some- thing; to share a border with something. 4. tv. to make contact with something; to have no space between two or more objects. (No actual movement is involved.) 5. tv. to handle something; to use something. (Especially in negative constructions.) 6. iv. [for people or things] to make contact or be in contact. 7. tv. to affect someone, especially in a sad way. 8. n. an instance of placing one’s finger or hand on someone or something. 9. n. someone’s handling or gentle pressure as sensed by the person being touched as in Q. (No plu- ral.) 10. n. a detail that improves something or adds to something. 11. n. a small amount of some- thing; a little bit of something. 12. n. a special or unique skill or style; evidence of one’s skill or style. → have the Midas touch touch down [for an airplane] to come in contact with the ground. touch someone for something to ask someone for a loan of some- thing, usually a sum of money. (Informal.) touch someone or something off to ignite or excite someone or some- thing. touch something up to fix up the minor flaws in something. touch (up)on something to men- tion something; to discuss some- thing briefly. touchy ["t^tS i] adj. easily angered; easily upset; irritable; too sensi- tive. (Adv: touchily. Comp: touch- ier; sup: touchiest.) tough ["t^f] 1. adj. not tender; dif- ficult to chew. (Comp: tougher; sup: toughest.) 2. adj. hard to do; difficult; not easy. (Comp: tougher; sup: toughest.) 3. adj. strong and determined; not weak. (Adv: toughly. Comp: tougher; sup: toughest.) 4. adj. stubborn; not likely to have a change of mind. (Adv: toughly. Comp: tougher; sup: toughest.) 5. adj. rough; violent; dangerous. (Adv: toughly. Comp: tougher; sup: toughest.) 6. adj. unfortunate; unlucky. (Informal. Comp: tougher; sup: toughest.) 7. n. a criminal; someone who is violent or dangerous. a tough act to follow a presenta- tion or performance of such high quality that one will have diffi- culty maintaining the same stan- dard of quality in one’s own presentation or performance. a tough row to hoe a difficult task to undertake. tough something out to endure something; to endure the diffi- culty of something to the very end. toughen someone or something up to cause someone or something to become stronger, more uncom- promising, or more severe. toughen up to become tougher, stronger, or more severe. tour ["tU #] 1. n. a trip in which several places of interest are vis- ited; a trip in which one visits an interesting place. 2. tv. to travel through a place; to move through a place for entertainment. 3. tv. tour 651 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 651 TLFeBOOK [for a performance and its per- formers] to visit or travel to many places in order to be seen. 4. iv. to travel around from place to place in order to be seen. tourism ["tU# Iz @m] 1. n. travel; visiting interesting places, espe- cially for a vacation. (No plural.) 2. n. the business of attracting and serving tourists. (No plural.) tourist ["tU# Ist] 1. n. someone who travels for pleasure. 2. the adj. use of Q. tournament ["tU# n@ m@nt] n. a contest involving several people or teams who play several games in such a way that the winner of one game plays the winner of another game until there is only one cham- pion remaining. tow ["to] 1. tv. to pull something with a rope or chain. 2. n. an instance of pulling something with a rope or chain. → in tow tow someone or something away to pull something, such as a car or a boat, away with another car, boat, etc. (The someone refers to the property of someone, not the per- son.) tow someone or something in(to something ) to pull something, such as a car or a truck, into some- thing, such as a garage. (The some- one refers to the property of someone, not the person.) tow someone or something out (of someplace ) to pull something, such as a car, out of something, such as a ditch. (The someone refers to the property of someone, not the person.) toward(s) ["tord(z)] 1. prep. [fac- ing] in a certain direction; facing someone. 2. prep. about or in rela- tion to or about someone or some- thing. 3. prep. just before a certain time. 4. prep. as a payment to someone or something. towel ["taU @l] n. a piece of cloth or paper that is used to take away moisture from a surface. → throw in the towel tower ["taU #] n. a tall building or structure; a tall part of a building or structure. → live in an ivory tower a tower of strength a person who can always be depended on to pro- vide support and encouragement, especially in times of trouble. town ["taUn] 1. n. an area where people live that is smaller than a city but larger than a village. 2. n. the part of a city where businesses, stores, and markets are found. (No plural.) 3. n. a city. 4. n. all the people who live in Q. 5. the adj. use of Q, W, or E. → go to town → a man about town → out on the town → paint the town red → talk of the town toy ["toI] 1. n. something that is made to amuse a child. 2. adj. made to be played with. trace ["tres] 1. n. a very small amount of something. 2. tv. to draw or copy the outline of some- thing by putting a thin piece of paper on top of it and then draw- ing over the lines one sees through the thin paper. 3. tv. to follow the path of something’s growth, devel- tourism 652 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 652 TLFeBOOK opment, or history. 4. tv. to seek the origin of something. track ["trAk] 1. n. the marks made by a vehicle, person, or animal traveling from place to place. 2. n. a pair of parallel metal rails that trains travel on. 3. n. a trail; a path; a rough road. 4. n. a circular pathway used for running or rac- ing. 5. n. a group of sports activi- ties including running, jumping, and other tests of individual endurance and strength. (No plu- ral.) 6. tv. to follow the trail of a person or other creature. → drop in one’s tracks → get the inside track → have a one-track mind → jump the track → on the right track → on the wrong track → the other side of the tracks track someone or something down to search and find where someone or something is. track something in(to someplace ) to bring something, such as mud, into a place on the bottom of one’s feet. track something up to mess a place up by spreading around something dirty or messy with one’s feet. traction ["trAk S@n] n. the grip of a wheel or shoe on a surface that allows the wheel or shoe to apply energy to the surface in order to move ahead. (No plural.) tractor ["trAk t#] n. a motor vehi- cle with large, thick tires, used for pulling farm equipment in fields. trade ["tred] 1. n. the business of buying and selling products. (No plural.) 2. n. a particular business. 3. n. a job that utilizes a skill. 4. n. the exchange of someone or some- thing for someone or something else. 5. tv. to exchange someone or something for someone or some- thing else. 6. iv. to exchange; to swap. → know (all) the tricks of the trade trade something in (for something ) and trade something in (on something ) to return something, such as a car, to a place where that item is sold as partial payment on a new item. trade something in (on something ) Go to trade something in (for some- thing ). trade something off 1. to get rid of something in an exchange. 2. to sacrifice something in an exchange. trademark ["tred mark] 1. n. a word, name, or symbol—used and owned by a manufacturer—that identifies a product. 2. n. a mark or feature that is associated with a certain person or thing. (Figura- tive on Q.) 3. tv. [for a manufac- turer] to protect Q by registering it with the government. trader ["tred #] n. a merchant; someone who buys and sells things as a business. tradition [tr@ "dI S@n] n. the way that something has been done from generation to generation. (Plural only for types and instances.) traditional [tr@ "dIS @ n@l] adj. relating to tradition. (Adv: tradi- tionally.) traditional 653 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 653 TLFeBOOK traffic ["trAf Ik] 1. n. vehicles and their movement—or slowness of movement—on land, on water, or in the air. (No plural.) 2. n. the process of buying and selling. (No plural.) → stuck in traffic traffic jam ["trAf Ik dZAm] n. a sit- uation in which vehicles on a road have stopped or slowed down because there are too many of them. traffic light ["trAf Ik laIt] n. a sig- nal, usually found at intersections, used to control traffic by a system of lights. (Can be shortened to light.) tragedy ["trA dZ@ di] 1. n. a serious play that has a sad ending. 2. n. a disaster; a sad, unfortunate, or ter- rible event. tragic ["trA dZIk] 1. adj. of or about serious plays with sad endings. (Adv: tragically [ Ik li].) 2. adj. sad; terrible; unfortunate. (Adv: tragically [ Ik li].) trail ["trel] 1. n. the marks made by a vehicle, person, or animal as it travels from place to place; the scent left by a person or animal as it travels from place to place. (See also track.) 2. n. a path through an area that a car cannot travel over; a path for walking, biking, etc. 3. tv. to follow someone or an animal by its scent, footprints, or other clues that the person or ani- mal leaves behind. 4. tv. to leave something dirty on a surface by walking or dragging something across it. train ["tren] 1. n. a line of railroad cars pulled by an engine. 2. tv. to teach someone a skill; to give someone the knowledge needed to do a job. 3. iv. to prepare [oneself] for a job, contest, or a perfor- mance. → have one’s sights trained on something → lose one’s train of thought → ride the gravy train train one’s sights on something and have one’s sights trained on something to have something as a goal; to direct something or oneself toward a goal. (The same as set one’s sights on something. ) traitor ["tret #] n. one who betrays one’s country or leader. tramp ["trAmp] 1. n. someone who lives by begging; a male who lives on the streets and does not have a home. 2. n. the sound of someone marching. (No plural.) 3. iv. to walk heavily and steadily. transaction [trAn "zAk S@n] n. a business deal; an agreement or negotiation that has been com- pleted. transfer ["trAns f#] 1. n. the move- ment of something from one place to another place. (No plural.) 2. n. a ticket that allows someone to get off one vehicle, usually a bus, and get on another one without paying a second fare. 3. iv. to move from one vehicle to another; to get off one vehicle and get on another one. 4. iv. to move from one site to another site. 5. tv. to move some- thing from one place to another place. 6. tv. to cause someone to move from one job site to another job site. traffic 654 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 654 TLFeBOOK transform [trAns "form] tv. to change something’s or someone’s shape, form, nature, or appear- ance. transfusion [trAns "fju Z@n] n. the process of transferring blood from one person to another. transistor [trAn "zIs t#] n. a small electrical device that controls the flow of current in electronic cir- cuits. transit ["trAn zIt] n. transporta- tion; movement of people or goods. (No plural.) → in transit transitive verb ["trAn s@ tIv "v#b] n. a verb that is used with a direct object ; a verb that requires a direct object . (Abbreviated tv. here.) translate ["trAn slet] 1. tv. to change something written or spo- ken from one language to another. 2. iv. to change [something writ- ten or spoken in one language] to another language. translation [trAnz "le S@n] n. changing a message in one lan- guage into an equivalent message in another language; changing a sequence of symbols in one code into another code. (Plural only for types and instances.) → free translation translator ["trAnz le t#] n. some- one who translates sentences of one language into another. transmit [trAnz "mIt] tv. to send information by way of electricity or radio waves. transmitter ["trAnz mIt #] n. a piece of electronic equipment that transmits electromagnetic waves, as for radio or television. transparent [trAnz "pEr @nt] 1. adj. clear and able to be seen through. (Adv: transparently.) 2. adj. obvious; easily recognized; [of something meant to deceive] easy to figure out. (Figurative on Q. Adv: transparently.) transport ["trAnz port] 1. n. carry- ing people or things from one place to another. (No plural.) 2. tv. to carry someone or something from one place to another. transportation [trAnz p# "te S@n] 1. n. the system of moving people and goods from one place to another. (No plural.) 2. n. moving people or goods from one place to another. (No plural.) trap ["trAp] 1. n. a device used to catch animals or people. 2. n. a bend in a drain pipe in which water rests in order to prevent harmful gases from the sewer from going into a building. 3. tv. to catch someone or something in Q. 4. tv. to prevent someone or something from escaping, leaving, or getting out. → set a trap trapper ["trAp #] n. someone who traps animals, skins them, and sells the fur. trash ["trAS] 1. n. things that are thrown away; rubbish; refuse. (No plural.) 2. tv. to throw something away. (Slang.) trauma ["trO m@] 1. n. an emotional shock; an emotional response to a shock. 2. n. an injury; a wound; damage to the body. trauma 655 09 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 655 TLFeBOOK . a certain time. 7. the marker of the infini- tive form of verbs. (This use of to is often considered to be a prepo- sition, but it has none of the quali- ties of a preposition.) to one’s heart’s. affected areas of one’s body after one has used the toilet. (No plural.) token ["tok @n] 1. n. a sign of something; a reminder of some- thing; visible proof of something; evidence of something tasting, managing food, and, in humans, speaking. 2. n. the Q of an animal, eaten as food. (No plural.) 3. n. a language. 4. n. the flap of material that is part of a shoe and fits under the laces.