(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
If you talk about a particular ~ of something, you are talking about a class of things that have particular features in common and that belong to a larger group of related things.
What ~ of school did you go to?...
There are so many different ~s of mushrooms available these days...
He had a nice, serious ~ of smile...
That’s just the ~ of abuse that he will be investigating...
Eddie was playing a game of some ~...
= type, kind
N-COUNT: with supp, usu N of n
2.
You describe someone as a particular ~ when you are describing their character.
He seemed to be just the right ~ for the job...
She was a very vigorous ~ of person...
What ~ of men were they?
= type, kind
N-SING: with supp
3.
If you ~ things, you separate them into different classes, groups, or places, for example so that you can do different things with them.
The students are ~ed into three ability groups...
He unlatched the box and ~ed through the papers...
I ~ed the laundry.
VERB: be V-ed into n, V through n, V n
4.
If you get a problem or the details of something ~ed, you do what is necessary to solve the problem or organize the details. (INFORMAL)
I’m trying to get my script ~ed...
= ~ out
VERB: usu passive, get n V-ed
5.
All ~s of things or people means a large number of different things or people.
There are all ~s of animals, including bears, pigs, kangaroos, and penguins...
Self-help groups of all ~s have been running for more than 20 years.
PHRASE
6.
If you describe something as a thing of ~s or as a thing of a ~, you are suggesting that the thing is of a rather poor quality or standard.
He made a living of ~s selling pancakes from a van...
PHRASE: n PHR
7.
You use ~ of when you want to say that your description of something is not very accurate. (INFORMAL)
You could even order windows from a catalogue–a ~ of mail order stained glass service...
PHRASE vagueness
8.
to ~ the wheat from the chaff: see chaff
nothing of the ~: see nothing