hardly, scarcely and no sooner) when; as soon as: Scarcely
had I started to speak than he began to argue with me.
than² prep 1 in comparison with: Paul is taller than me. |
They arrived earlier than usual. | They favour gradual rather
than radical change. | I was more annoyed than worried when
they didn't come home. (=annoyed but not really very wor-
ried) 2 (used in comparing measures or amounts): She drove
at more than 100 miles per hour. | There were fewer than 50
people at the meeting. | Offenders are liable to a fine of not
more than £100.
thane /θeɪn/ n 1 also thegn — (in early English history) a
man belonging to a class of a rank between nobles and
ordinary men, who held land from the king in return for
military service 2 (in early Scottish history) a low-ranking
member of the noble class
thank /θæŋk/ v [T(for)] 1 to express one's gratefulness to
(someone); give thanks to: The old lady thanked me for
helping her. | You've been so helpful - how can we ever thank
you? ➔ see also THANK YOU 2 to regard (someone) as
responsible for something bad; blame: You can thank the
government for this latest rise in oil prices. (=they are to
blame) | He's only got himself to thank that she's left him - he
treated her very badly. 3 I'll thank you (used when request-
ing something forcefully or rudely): I'll thank you to keep
quiet while I'm speaking/to mind your own business. 4 thank
God/goodness/heaven (an expression of great thankful-
ness): 'Your son's alive.' 'Thank God!' 5 thank one's lucky
stars infml to be grateful, especially for a lucky escape: We can
thank our lucky stars that the rope didn't break.
thank·ful /'θæŋkfl/ adj 1 glad that something good has
happened: [F+(that)/to-v] After the long boring lecture I was
thankful that I was/thankful to be out in the fresh air
again. 2 [(for)] grateful: I expected a bigger payment, but I
suppose you have to be thankful for small mercies. (=grate-
ful to receive anything, however small) —ness n [U]
thank·ful·ly /'θæŋkfəli/ adv 1 in a thankful way; with
thankful feelings 2 I am thankful that: Those things are very
popular in America, but thankfully they haven't come over
here yet.
thank·less /'θæŋkləs/ adj 1 not likely to be rewarded with
thanks or success: She has the thankless task of trying to
rehabilitate these young criminals. 2 rare not feeling or show-
ing thanks; ungrateful —ly adv —ness n [U]
thanks¹ /θæŋks/ n [P] 1 (words expressing) gratefulness: She
did the work without expecting any thanks. | His good leader-
ship has earned the thanks of a grateful nation 2 thanks to
because of: The company has had a successful year, thanks
mainly to the improvement in export sales. | It was thanks to
your stupidity that we lost the game. | It was no thanks to you
that we won. (=we won in spite of you) ➔ see also VOTE OF
THANKS
thanks² interj THANK YOU
thanks-giv-ing /θæŋks'gɪvɪŋ/ n [C;U] (an) expression of
gratefulness, especially to God
Thanksgiving also 'Thanksgiving 'Day n [C;U] an
important public holiday in the US, on the fourth Thursday
in November ➔ see Feature on page A19
CULTURAL NOTE Celebrating Thanksgiving Thanksgiving
is a very important event in the US. It is a holiday when all
the members of a family eat a traditional meal of TURKEY,
STUFFING, CRANBERRY SAUCE, YAMS, CORN BREAD, other
types of cooked vegetables, and PUMPKIN PIE. Although
Thanksgiving Day is on a Thursday, most schools and
offices are also closed on the following day, so that people
have a LONG WEEKEND. Many people watch television on
Thanksgiving Day, and there is the Macy's Thanksgiving
Day PARADE in New York City, which is shown on
television across the country. The most popular thing to
watch on Thanksgiving Day, however, is American football.
Most large DEPARTMENT STORES are open on the Friday
after Thanksgiving and have a big SALE (=a time when
goods are sold at lower prices than usual). It is also the
day when most stores start decorating their buildings for
Christmas. Most people in the US consider the day after
Thanksgiving to be the beginning of the Christmas holiday
season The story of Thanksgiving Thanksgiving
celebrates the time when SETTLERS who came to North
America from England were saved by Native Americans.
Many of the settlers died of HUNGER during their first
winter in the new land. The Native Americans showed
them how to grow corn and other crops, so that they had
enough food to eat during the next winter. The settlers
and Native Americans celebrated together with a special
meal, and gave their thanks to God for the food and help.
Children at school sometimes perform this story as a play,
wear special clothes to look like settlers, and have a
parade or draw pictures of things related to Thanksgiving
such as turkeys, pumpkins, corn, Pilgrims, and Native
Americans.
'thank you also thanks interj 1 [(for)] (used politely to mean)
I am grateful to you: Thank you for the nice present you sent
me. | Thank you very much for helping me with my
homework. | 'Here's what you asked for.' 'Thanks/Many
thanks/Thanks a lot.' 2 (used in certain phrases to show
that a situation is very satisfactory and that change is not
wanted): Under the present system these lawyers are doing
very nicely thank you, and they won't welcome any
changes. 3 no, thank you (used when refusing an offer
politely): 'Would you like a cup of tea?' 'No, thank you; I've
just had one.'
USAGE If you are offered something that you do not want,
you reply 'No thank you'. If you say only 'Thank you' it
means that you want it: 'Have a drink!' 'Thank you. Beer,
please.'
thank-you /'θæŋkju:/ n, adj [A] (an act of) expressing thanks:
We owe Mrs Jones a special thankyou for all her help. | a
thankyou card
that¹ /ðæt/ determiner pl. those /ðəʊz/ 1 being the person,
thing, idea etc, which is understood or has just been
mentioned: Who was that man I saw you talking to? | Those
sweets you gave me were very nice. | The clock struck 12, and at
that moment she came in through the door. | Later that same
day (=the day that is presently being talked about) the
President called a meeting of his advisers. 2 being the one of
two or more people or things that is further away in time,
place, thought etc: This room (we're in) is a lot warmer than
that one (across the passage). | Do you want to sit in this chair
(here) or that one (over there)?
that² /ðæt/ pron pl. those 1 the person, thing, idea etc, which
is understood or has just been mentioned: Who told you
that? | Who gave you those? | Who was that I saw you with last
night? | So that's why you don't like him. | Come at 6 o'clock -
that seems early enough. | First we went to the butcher's, and
after that (=then) we went to the greengrocer's. | If you carry
on behaving like that (=as you have been doing) you'll go
straight to bed without any supper. | She slammed the book
down on the table, and with that (=after doing that) ran
angrily out of the room. 2 (used with be) the thing or person
that is far or further away in place, time, thought etc: That's
your coat on the hook. This one's mine. | 'Who's that?' (=the
person there) 'It's me.' 3 I'm the one or kind: The finest wines
are those from France. | The cost of the air fare is higher than
that of the rail fare. 4 such a thing or things: 'He cheated me
out of all my money and then left me.' 'Ah well, that's life, I
suppose!' (=such things happen and must be accepted) | He
makes big promises and never does anything about it. That's
men for you! (=that is typical of men) 5 and all that also-and
that BrE nonstandard - and so on; and all such things: I used to
take drugs and all that when I was young. 6 that is in other
words: The fare is reduced for children, that is, anyone under
15 years old. 7 that's a used when telling or persuading a
child or animal to do something): Don't cry, that's a good
boy! 8 that's that (especially expressing determination) that
is the end of the matter; that settles the matter: I'm not
going to do it and that's that.
that³ /ðət; strong ðæt/ conj 1 (used for introducing various
kinds of CLAUSE) a) (used after verbs, nouns, or adjectives
marked [+that] in this dictionary): She said (that) she would
come early. | The rules state quite clearly that smoking is not
allowed. | Is it true (that) you're getting married? | I'm afraid
that I can't help you. | I'll give it to you on condition (that) you
don't break it. | The fact that you don't like her has nothing to
do with the matter. b) (used (as if) in answering a question
beginning with what): 'What was his reason for not coming to