I. (|)this, _thəs pronoun
( plural these (|)thēz)
Etymology: Middle English this, pron. & adjective (plural thes, these, thos, those ), from Old English thes (masculine), thēos (feminine), this (neuter), pron. & adjective (pl thǣs, thās ); akin to Old High German dese, desēr this, Old Norse thessi; all from a prehistoric North Germanic-West Germanic pronoun whose first constituent is akin to Old English thæt (neuter demonstrative pron. & definite article) and whose second constituent is probably akin to Old English sē (masculine demonstrative pron. & definite article) — more at that , the
1.
a.
(1) : the person, thing, or idea that is present or near in place, time, or thought or that has just been mentioned
this is the twelfth of August
these are my hands
this is a warmer welcome than I was expecting
the plan has only two faults, but these are so serious that they may outweigh its merits
— often used with a general reference to something stated or implied in the previous context but without particular reference to a noun or noun equivalent in that context
in so far as those habits did change gradually over the century, this was thought to be due to a thing called progress — Christopher Hollis
what he had to teach is far from clear, and this despite the fact that his prose style is extolled … for its marvelous simplicity — Irving Kristol
— often used in reference to a person as subject of a form of the verb be especially in performing an introduction
this is my sister
these are my sons
(2) : what is stated in the following or the not yet completed phrase, clause, or discourse
let me tell you this : I have had feeling of my cousin's wrongs — Shakespeare
a queer problem this , of causing a character … to step out of the page — Countryman
the demonstratives may, and this in most languages … hold up their nouns to censure or to blame — M.E.B.Charnley
b. : the present time : this time
expected him to return before this
the time 'twixt this and supper — Shakespeare
c. : this place
take yourself from this , young fellow, or I'll maybe add a murder to my deeds today — J.M.Synge
2.
a.
(1) : the nearer one : the one more immediately under observation or discussion
this is iron and that is tin
these are sparrows and those are robins
— contrasted with that
(2) : the latter — contrasted with that
b. : one thing — sometimes contrasted with that ; sometimes used as first member of a 3-part series with that as the second member and the other as the third
II. adjective
( plural these )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English thes, thēos, this
1.
a. : being the person, thing, or idea that is present or near in place, time, or thought, or that has just been mentioned
this man sitting beside me is the one who made the highest bid
this book is mine
this moment
entertaining a great deal these days
one of the most memorable experiences I had in Europe this summer
he is to enter college this fall
these United States
— used before a noun denoting a part of a day to indicate reference to the present day
got up early this morning
expecting to dine out with some friends this evening
— used before a noun denoting a day of the week to indicate reference to the next ensuing day so named
going to make a business trip this Monday
— sometimes used before a noun denoting a person to form a phrase referring to the writer or speaker
this reviewer
this commentator
— sometimes used archaically before a combination of possessive adjective plus noun
in this our country
where the standard and fully current construction instead has the noun followed by of plus the corresponding possessive pronoun
in this country of ours
b. : constituting the immediately following part of the present utterance or writing
this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also — 1 Jn 4:21 (Revised Standard Version)
c. : that is well known or much talked about especially as being recent or in vogue
this existentialism
these satellites
— sometimes used disparagingly
d. : constituting the immediate past or the immediate future — used with expressions denoting a length of time
after being friends all these years
dinner has been waiting this half hour
may your husband live these fifty years — R.B.Sheridan
e.
(1) these plural , obsolete : such
under these hard conditions as this time is like to lay on us — Shakespeare
(2) these plural : constituting such a number — used in the same construction with many
the products of a technically adequate adjustment to reality constitute these many proofs of human potency — Weston La Barre
f. : being one not previously mentioned
I was waiting for the bus and this old man came along and asked me for a dime
gave me a light from this big lighter off the table — J.D.Salinger
2.
a. : the nearer at hand : the more immediately under observation or discussion
this car or that one
— contrasted with that
b. : a certain : one , some — sometimes contrasted with that
turn his ship this way and that — C.S.Forester
— sometimes used as first member of a 3-part series with that as the second member and the other as the third
this , that, or the other business — F.D.Roosevelt
III. adverb
Etymology: Middle English, from this (I)
1. obsolete : in this way : thus
2. : to the degree or extent indicated by something immediately present : as this
didn't expect to have to wait this long
the fact that a novel about present-day Formosa could be quite this interesting seems odd — Margaret Parton
IV. ˈthis noun
( plural thises or thisses )
Etymology: this (I)
: one of the members and usually the first of a pair or series — sometimes used with an initial capital to stand for a proper name which is not mentioned
Lady This running an antique shop, and Madam That selling hats — Spectator
— contrasted with that