I. them 1 S1 W1 /ðəm; strong ðem/ BrE AmE pronoun [object form of ‘they’]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old Norse ; Origin: theim ]
1 . used to refer to two or more people or things that have already been mentioned or are already known about:
Has anyone seen my keys? I can’t find them anywhere.
The police were very helpful when I spoke to them.
I lent him several books, but he hasn’t read any of them.
2 . used when talking about someone who may be male or female, to avoid saying ‘him or her’:
If anyone phones, tell them I’ll be back later.
II. them 2 /ðem/ BrE AmE determiner spoken
used to mean ‘those’. Many people think this use is incorrect:
I couldn’t understand all them long words.