I
n.
independent, meaningful linguistic form
1) to coin a ~
2) to pronounce, say, utter; write a ~ (to say a few ~s about smt.)
3) to mispronounce a ~
4) to distort smb.'s ~s
5) to not mince any ~s ('to speak frankly')
6) angry, cross, sharp; choice; fighting; harsh; hasty; heated, hot; high-sounding; hollow, hypocritical; sincere; weasel ~s
7) an archaic, obsolete; borrowed; compound; dialectal, regional; foreign; four-letter, obscene; function; ghost; monosyllabic; native; nonce; portmanteau; simple; taboo ~
8) a guide ~ (at the top of a page in a dictionary, reference work)
9) ( misc. ) (upon) my ~ ('really'); to hang on (to) smb.'s ~s ('to listen to smb. very attentively'); in so many ~s ('precisely'); of few ~s ('not talkative'); ~ for ~ ('verbatim'); she took the ~s right out of my mouth ('she said exactly what I wanted to say'); a household ('common') ~; to get a ~ in edgewise ( AE )/edgeways ( BE ) ('to manage to say smt. in a dispute'); to have the last ~ ('to conclude an argument'); to put in a good ~ for smb. ('to plead smb.'s case'); in a ~ ('briefly'); a play on ~s ('a pun'); begin at the ~ go; one's dying ~s
promise
10) to give one's ~
11) to take smb.'s ~; to take smb. at her/his ~
12) to break one's ~
13) one's solemn ~; one's ~ of honor
14) one's ~ that + clause (she gave me her ~ that she would deliver the message)
15) of one's ~ (she's a woman of her ~) ('she keeps her promises')
command
16) to give the ~
information, news
17) to bring; send ~
18) to breathe, say a ~ (don't breathe a ~ about it to anyone)
19) to get ~ (we got advance ~ that the contract would be signed)
20) the latest ~
21) advance ~
22) ~ about, of (there was no ~ of the incident in the newspapers; she would like to say a few ~s about the incident)
23) ~ that + clause (they sent ~ that they would be late)
conversation
24) to have a ~ with smb. about smt. ( see also ~s )
USAGE NOTE: The construction I'd like to have a ~ with you usu. indicates that the conversation will be of a serious nature. Compare I had ~s with him 'I had an argument with him'.
II
v. to ~ smt. strongly