(~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
An ~ is anything that has a fixed shape or form, that you can touch or see, and that is not alive.
...an ~ the shape of a coconut...
In the cosy consulting room the children are surrounded by familiar ~s.
N-COUNT
2.
The ~ of what someone is doing is their aim or purpose.
The ~ of the exercise is to raise money for the charity...
My ~ was to publish a scholarly work on Peter Mourne.
N-COUNT: usu with poss
3.
The ~ of a particular feeling or reaction is the person or thing it is directed towards or that causes it.
The ~ of her hatred was 24-year-old model Ros French...
The ~ of great interest at the Temple was a large marble tower built in memory of Buddha...
N-COUNT: N of n
see also sex ~
4.
In grammar, the ~ of a verb or a preposition is the word or phrase which completes the structure begun by the verb or preposition.
N-COUNT
see also direct ~ , indirect ~
5.
If you ~ to something, you express your dislike or disapproval of it.
A lot of people will ~ to the book...
Cullen ~ed that his small staff would be unable to handle the added work...
We ~ed strongly but were outvoted...
‘Hey, I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Russo ~ed.
VERB: V to n, V that, V, V with quote
6.
If you say that money is no ~ or distance is no ~, you are emphasizing that you are willing or able to spend as much money as necessary or travel whatever distance is required.
Hugh Johnson’s shop in London has a range of superb Swedish crystal glasses that I would have if money were no ~...
Although he was based in Wales, distance was no ~.
PHRASE: V inflects emphasis