Common English Phrases

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301	in general
1. adv. In the general case; without further assumption; without qualification; in all respects.
2. adv. Generally.
302	grown up
1. adj. Of, pertaining to, or suitable for adults.
2. adj. Adult; fully developed; mature.
3. n. An adult. (used especially by children)
4. v. past participle of grow up
303	go up
1. v. (intransitive) To be built or erected
There are new offices going up in town.
2. v. (intransitive) To rise or increase in price, cost, or value.
Bananas have gone up because of a shortage.
3. v. (intransitive) To be consumed by fire.
304	picking up
1. v. present participle of pick up
305	most likely
1.
306	goes out
1. v. third-person singular present indicative of go out
307	going up
1. v. present participle of go up
308	go over
I'm going over to my friend's house.
1. v. To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze.
Please go over the reports to make sure we haven't missed anything.
2. v. To create a response or impression.
Playing a radio in the office did not go over well with his coworkers.
309	done in
1. v. past participle of do in
310	all over again
1. adv. Once again; one further time.
I spent five hours finding a suitable present for my sister, but then I lost it and had to look all over again.
311	holds up
1. v. third-person singular present indicative of hold up
312	believes in
1. v. third-person singular present indicative of believe in
313	catch up
1. v. To pick up suddenly.
2. v. To entangle.
The speaker wires have got caught up with the wires from the lights.
3. v. (intransitive) To be brought up to date with news.
I hadn't seen her for so long. It was great to catch up.
314	death penalty
1. n. (legal) A punishment in which the offender is put to death by the state.
315	on the contrary
1. prep. (conjunctive) opposite of what had earlier been expected or assumed
316	as for
1. prep. Regarding; about; concerning.
I can't teach that class today: I'm sick. As for the rest of the teachers, they are still on leave.
317	make love
1. v. (now archaic) To make amorous approaches to; to woo, romance, court.
2. v. (euphemistic) To engage in sexual intercourse.
318	pass through
1. v. To transit something.
2. v. To make something move through something else.
The dough is passed through the pasta machine several times.
3. v. To infiltrate.
We passed through enemy lines in the fog.
319	coming on
1. adv. Almost, nearly, nigh on.
2. v. present participle of come on
320	more so
1. adj. Contextual comparative. Modifies another adjective (to which the "so" is a direct anaphoric reference), indicating a greater degree of the quality in question.
321	in the future
1. prep. At a future time, at some point in the future.
Perhaps humans will live on Mars in the future.
2. prep. (US) From now on.
Please put the toilet seat down in the future.
322	hand in
1. v. To give something to a responsible person.
I found a wallet on the street, so I handed it in to the police.
323	first of all
1. adv. (sequence, idiomatic) Firstly; before anything else.
324	act on
1. v. To act decisively on the basis of information received or deduced.
The policeman decided to act on the tip from his informant.
2. v. To take action against something.
World leaders have repeatedly stated that we must act on climate change.
3. v. (medicine) To affect something.
325	give a damn
1. v. (sometimes vulgar, chiefly in the negative) To be concerned about, have an interest in, to care (about something).
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
He doesn't give a damn about your child's painting, he's just interested in the gold frame.
If she actually gave a damn what the law said, she wouldn't have stolen the car in the first place, now would she?
326	out of control
1. prep. Not under control.
The economy is out of control and is headed for a crash.
2. prep. Not in control of one's actions.
Your children are completely out of control. Can you stop them running around like that?
327	set off
1. v. (idiomatic, intransitive) To leave; to begin a journey or trip.
He set off in search of better opportunities.
2. v. (idiomatic, transitive) To begin; to cause; to initiate.
I had no idea that one simple comment would set off such a huge argument.
3. v. (idiomatic, transitive) To cause to explode, let off.
328	or else
1. Phrase. otherwise or as an alternative
Go now, or else you'll have to stay all night.
2. Phrase. no matter what (implies an unspecified threat)
Clean up your room, or else!
329	by definition
1. prep. According to, or as a matter of, definition.
This property holds for all polygons; and since, by definition, all triangles are polygons, it holds for all triangles.
2. prep. Necessarily; always; certainly.
Almost by definition, a conversation requires both parties to accept each other's viewpoints to some extent.
330	hang around
1. v. to stay, linger or loiter
If you hang around after the show, you can meet the cast.
2. v. to spend time or be friends (especially to hang around with someone)
My daughter likes to hang around with older kids after school.

Dictionary entries from Wiktionary