■ preposition
1》 expressing direction or position in relation ~ a location, point, or condition.
↘ chiefly Brit. (in telling the time) before (the hour specified).
2》 identifying the person or thing affected.
3》 identifying a relationship between one person or thing and another.
↘indicating a rate of return: ten miles ~ the gallon.
4》 indicating that two things are attached.
5》 governing a phrase expressing someone's reaction: ~ her as~nishment, he smiled.
6》 used ~ introduce the second element in a comparison.
7》 placed before a debit entry in accounting.
■ infinitive marker
1》 used with the base form of a verb ~ indicate that the verb is in the infinitive.
↘( about ~ ) forming a future tense with reference ~ the immediate future.
2》 used without a verb following when the missing verb is clearly unders~od: she said she didn't want ~.
■ adverb so as ~ be closed or nearly closed.
Origin
OE tō (adverb and preposition), of W. Gmc origin.