Pronunciation: before consonants usu th ə , before vowels usu th ē , sometime before vowels also th ə ; for emphasis before titles and names or to suggest uniqueness often ' th ē
Function: definite article
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English th ē , masculine demonstrative pronoun & definite article, alteration (influenced by oblique cases as thæs, genitive & neuter, thæt ) of s ē ; akin to Greek ho, masculine demonstrative pronoun & definite article ― more at THAT
Date: before 12th century
1 a ― used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is definite or has been previously specified by context or by circumstance <put the cat out> b ― used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is a unique or a particular member of its class < the President> < the Lord> c ― used as a function word before nouns that designate natural phenomena or points of the compass < the night is cold> d ― used as a function word before a noun denoting time to indicate reference to what is present or immediate or is under consideration <in the future> e ― used as a function word before names of some parts of the body or of the clothing as an equivalent of a possessive adjective <how's the arm today> f ― used as a function word before the name of a branch of human endeavor or proficiency < the law> g ― used as a function word in prepositional phrases to indicate that the noun in the phrase serves as a basis for computation <sold by the dozen> h ― used as a function word before a proper name (as of a ship or a well-known building) < the Mayflower> i ― used as a function word before a proper name to indicate the distinctive characteristics of a person or thing < the John Doe that we know wouldn't lie> j ― used as a function word before the plural form of a surname to indicate all the members of a family < the Johnsons> k ― used as a functon word before the plural form of a numeral that is a multiple of ten to denote a particular decade of a century or of a person's life <life in the twenties> l ― used as a function word before the name of a commodity or any familiar appurtenance of daily life to indicate reference to the individual thing, part, or supply thought of as at hand <talked on the telephone> m ― used as a function word to designate one of a class as the best, most typical, best known, or most worth singling out <this is the life> < the pill> ― sometimes used before a personal name to denote the most prominent bearer of that name
2 a (1) ― used as a function word with a noun modified by an adjective or by an attributive noun to limit the application of the modified noun to that specified by the adjective or by the attributive noun < the right answer> <Peter the Great> (2) ― used as a function word before an absolute adjective or an ordinal number <nothing but the best> <due on the first> b (1) ― used as a function word before a noun to limit its application to that specified by a succeeding element in the sentence < the poet Wordsworth> < the days of our youth> <didn't have the time to write> (2) ― used as a function word after a person's name to indicate a characteristic trait or notorious activity specified by the succeeding noun <Jack the Ripper>
3 a ― used as a function word before a singular noun to indicate that the noun is to be understood generically < the dog is a domestic animal> b ― used as a function word before a singular substantivized adjective to indicate an abstract idea <an essay on the sublime>
4 ― used as a function word before a noun or a substantivized adjective to indicate reference to a group as a whole < the elite>