transitive verb 1. to award the title of knight to by tapping or striking lightly on the shoulder, usu. with a sword.The queen dubbed him a knight. 2. to name or call.He…
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The meaning of “some” as a quantity expression
The word “some” indicates a quantity of something, but it doesn’t strongly signal any particular quantity or any particular feeling that the actual quantity is important. There is very little difference, with…
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With the Wordsmyth Vocabulary Center activities, you can study these words, play games with them, and assess your knowledge of their meanings with a quiz. Click here to go to the Vocabulary…
The meaning of quantity expressions
If we really think about it, quantity expressions, other than actual numbers and words like “none,” do not specify exact amounts, and some vary widely in the actual amounts they can refer to. The choice of any one of them—“several,” “a lot,” “a bit,” “a few,” “many”– depends on how the speaker feels about the amount being referred to, and whether that amount feels small or large or somewhere in between.
WOTD: tout
transitive verb to publicize flatteringly and boastfully.The company is touting its new product as a miracle drug.The film’s producer touted his new starlet unabashedly. intransitive verb to seek customers, votes, or the…