(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
Your ~s are the four long thin parts at the end of each hand.
She suddenly held up a small, bony ~ and pointed across the room...
She ran her ~s through her hair...
There was a ring on each of his ~s.
N-COUNT
see also light-~ed
2.
The ~s of a glove are the parts that a person’s ~s fit into.
N-COUNT: usu pl
3.
A ~ of something such as smoke or land is an amount of it that is shaped rather like a ~.
...a thin ~ of land that separates Pakistan from the former Soviet Union...
Cover the base with a single layer of sponge ~s.
= strip
N-COUNT: N of n, n N
see also fish ~
4.
If you ~ something, you touch or feel it with your ~s.
He ~ed the few coins in his pocket...
Self-consciously she ~ed the emeralds at her throat.
VERB: V n, V n
5.
If you get your ~s burned or burn your ~s, you suffer because something you did or were involved in was a failure or a mistake.
He has had his ~s burnt by deals that turned out badly...
Mr Walesa burned his ~s by promising he would give every Pole 100m zlotys to start a business.
PHRASE: V inflects
6.
If you cross your ~s, you put one ~ on top of another and hope for good luck. If you say that someone is keeping their ~s crossed, you mean they are hoping for good luck.
I’m keeping my ~s crossed that they turn up soon.
PHRASE: V inflects
7.
If you say that someone did not lay a ~ on a particular person or thing, you are emphasizing that they did not touch or harm them at all.
I must make it clear I never laid a ~ on her.
PHRASE: V inflects, usu with brd-neg, PHR n emphasis
8.
If you say that a person does not lift a ~ or raise a ~ to do something, especially to help someone, you are critical of them because they do nothing.
She never lifted a ~ around the house...
They will not lift a ~ to help their country.
PHRASE: V inflects, with brd-neg disapproval
9.
If you point the ~ at someone or point an accusing ~ at someone, you blame them or accuse them of doing wrong.
He said he wasn’t pointing an accusing ~ at anyone in the government or the army.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n
10.
If you tell someone to pull their ~ out or to get their ~ out, you are telling them rudely that you want them to start doing some work or making an effort. (BRIT INFORMAL)
Isn’t it about time that you pulled your ~ out?
PHRASE: V inflects disapproval
11.
If you put your ~ on something, for example a reason or problem, you see and identify exactly what it is.
He could never quite put his ~ on who or what was responsible for all this.
PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n/wh
12.
If someone or something slips through your ~s, you just fail to catch them, get them, or keep them.
Money has slipped through his ~s all his life...
You mustn’t allow a golden opportunity to slip through your ~s or you will regret it later.
PHRASE: V inflects
13.
to have green ~s: see green
~ on the pulse: see pulse