Questions tagged [word-usage]
This tag is for questions about correctly using a word. The word has to be provided within the question. The question should be limited to the usage of one word. For the usage of complete phrases there is the tag phrase-usage.
6,828
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Medicamentous vs medical
Are the terms medicamentous treatment and medical treatment synonymous? Clarification regarding minute difference or usage will be appreciated.
I ask this question in the score that I couldn't see ...
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2
answers
75
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Plain coffee or tea VS black coffee or tea
A coffee drink with no additives- no sugar no cream or no milk is called "black coffee". Can it be also called "plain coffee?"
If yes, then can these callings be carried over to ...
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29
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8
answers
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Can you use 'amok' without 'run'? How?
I've only ever seen the word 'amok' used in conjunction with the verb 'to run'. As in, 'running amok' or 'to run amok'. Is there an accepted way to use 'amok' without the verb 'to run'? Do you have ...
0
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1
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32
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Using "grow" in a subject + verb collocation
I have a problem with the usage of the word “grow.”
Sentence 1: The wings grow.
Sentence 2: The chick grows wings.
I know “the hair grows” but not “I grow my hair.” But how about the sentences above? ...
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0
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19
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What kind of reforms WERE or WAS made? Which one is correct? [duplicate]
What kind of reforms WAS/WERE made?
I usually know the subject-verb agreement. But someone asked me this, and I'm now questioning what I know about this. He said it should be "was" since ...
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0
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28
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Questions about the word "enhance" [closed]
I want to know the usage over time from when the word enhance was first used and how many people are using it now. Also, I want to know the history of the word (enhance) if it was spelled differently ...
1
vote
1
answer
53
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Is "turn comments" or "turning comments" an idiomatic way of responding to feedback?
I have a coworker who consistently says they are "turning comments" to mean "responding to feedback." In particular, it comes up in code review. Someone makes a comment, and the ...
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1
answer
156
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What's the difference between backward(s) and backwardly?
What is the difference between backwards, backward, and backwardly? They're all adverbs, but I feel like there's some sort of difference in their meanings and uses.
Although this question is similar ...
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1
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29
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Is a "convivial item" a good way to describe an item that makes you happy or is there a better word? [closed]
I am trying to come up with a name for a thread where you post items that make you happy
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3
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If "to X" signifies an infinitive, what form is the phrase "to be able to X", and can it be split?
"To slowly walk" is a split infinitive which is sometimes frowned upon, in which case "slowly to walk" or "to walk slowly" is often preferred.
"To be able to walk&...
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0
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27
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Affect vs Effect when talking about the Illusionary spell within a D&D Campaign [duplicate]
We got into an interesting debate with the spell Illusion.
If I cast Illusion on you; Are you affected or effected by the Illusion spell?
If I then look at you and see you as a monster (because that ...
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1
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29
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Difference among "suspicion" - "doubt" - "reservation" [closed]
I have a question related to word choice. I know the answer is "reservation", but I can't tell the difference among three other options. The question is as follows:
If I were you, I would ...
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2
votes
1
answer
51
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What's the meaning of "jutul" ? Is it somehow related to "jotun" or giant? [closed]
When I saw the series Ragnarok, I saw that the word "Jutul" was used as the name for a fake family lineage which was actually "jotuns".
But intuitively, just picking the word "...
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1
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Is “to bottom line” actually gaining traction?
The following extract from grammarist.com suggests that the idiomatic expression “bottom line” is mainly used as a noun but it is increasingly also being used as a verb:
By the 1980s, the term the ...
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2
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111
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Meaning of the word "star" in Australian English?
This is "star" in the context of talking about celebrities. My impression from talking to one Australian is that the word has a negative meaning to refer to a "prima donna" -- ...
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0
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Which is most idiomatic: 'these times,' 'those times,' or 'the times?'
I need some help translating a German saying "Die Zeiten sind vorbei!".
I may use it to communicate that the something is no longer going to happen; for instance, the times when I used to ...
2
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2
answers
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Can an argument be "undergirded"?
When writing an argumentative text (like a comment), it is common to support one's arguments with further explanations and examples.
Can this process of supporting the main point of the argument be ...
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3
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Can "donate" be used as a ditransitive verb?
Are sentences like the following valid?
He donated the charity five hundred dollars.
She donated the children every penny she had.
We donated the library a large collection of books.
They won't ...
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0
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0
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24
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What is this usage of "with"? [duplicate]
I wrote this sentence in a paper about computer science:
Then these cells are divided into groups, with cells in each group being shared among the same set of processes.
It sounds correct to me, but ...
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1
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How to use “discipline“? [closed]
I want to know the usage of this word as much as possible.
I only know that “discipline” is equivalent to rules.
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2
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48
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The word means Focusing only on what is visible (Concentrating only on the appearance without understanding accurately) [closed]
Focusing only on what is visible
(Concentrating only on the appearance without understanding accurately)
I wanna describe as a word but I really don't know what it is.. What I want to write is 'A ...
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2
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Why was "type" the correct answer in "Often : frequently :: kind : _____"? [closed]
The question is:
Often : frequently :: kind : _____
or,
Often is to frequently as kind is to _____
And the options given were
kindly
type
The correct answer was type.
But why isn't kindly also ...
3
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2
answers
199
views
Noun- verb combo
In recent times,more often, I come upon "noun- verb combos", operating as verbs such as dry-clean, kick-start, bad-mouth, sweet-talk, cherry-pick....
some of which have hyphens and others ...
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2
votes
1
answer
346
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What is the difference between "climb on" and "climb to"? [closed]
What is the difference between "climb on" and "climb to"? As a pilot, there may be such minor differences in our aviation charts. But I can't quite understand the difference.
I am ...
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2
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95
views
Is "unalive" both a verb and a noun?
An emerging colloquialism that is trending at the moment is "unalive", used, for example, in the sentence:
The police officer who was sued has a tendency to unalive someone he stops for a ...
- 2,299
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1
answer
65
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How would you refer to a female friend? [duplicate]
I was wondering how you would introduce a female friend to a group of friends. In German, it's just
Sie ist eine Freundin von mir
Which translates to
She is a friend of mine.
But I'm a bit ...
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5
votes
4
answers
1k
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Referring to the coat (fur) of a sheep
I am constructing a maths word problem and I would like to have differently coloured lambs as the main subject. However, I am not sure about the following points:
What language level is "ewe&...
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vote
1
answer
58
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Omitting the word "As"
Below is a reply from a friend of mine ( not a native speaker, like me) to my question:-
"An acid, WEAK AS acetic acid can also be used."
If I were him, I would've said:-
"An acid AS ...
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3
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3
answers
103
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"Few" or "a few" particles when referring to sensitivity of an instrument to faint traces [closed]
Is the use of "few" correct in the following sentence? Or do I have to use "a few"? The meaning of "few" in this context is a positive one (i.e., the resolution is so ...
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1
answer
54
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What does ''developing the intel'' mean?
While watching the first episode of season 6 of the UK series "Line of duty", one of the character who is a leading detective in a case told another detective to "continue developing ...
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2
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0
answers
63
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Where does the subcontinental usage of 'one' to mean 'named' come from?
Sometimes, when reading texts published in India, written by authors of Indian origin, I notice a usage of the word one in the sense of 'named,' or 'is called.' For instance, it's present in this ...
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2
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What does it mean to say "Yes. No" as a reply?
People say “Yes. No” as a reply. I’ve heard it many times. For example, one man says,
I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal savior yesterday.
And the other replies,
Yeah. No, I saw that.
...
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vote
1
answer
52
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What is the rule for word formation in "object"+"person"(like babysitter, songwriter, etc)? [duplicate]
Could you please explain what rule do you use when you make "double" words like babysitter, headhunter, songwriter, calorie burner?
Why is the first word singular? Not babiessitter (If it ...
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1
answer
80
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"Cask" as for "coffin"
I'm wondering if the word "cask" in English can be used to mean "coffin".
I know it means barrel but can it be used to mean the thing someone is buried in or you see at a funeral?
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0
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Is "unpurposeful" a word? [closed]
I know that there are different opinions about whether or not questions like "is that a word" are correct. But for now, I want to be less free in my word usage.
I did find "unpurposeful&...
1
vote
1
answer
93
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Native speakers using "house" instead of "flat", "apartment", "condo"
I sometimes hear native speakers of English use the word "house" instead of "flat" (BrE) and "apartment"/"condo" (AmE).
This YouTube video with a time stamp is ...
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1
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27
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Correct usage of I've
Understandably "I've" is a very versatile conjunction, however I have found it being used increasingly more as a possessive. I think in proper English this is unacceptable, but not so sure ...
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1
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Is it right to say "Your leg touched mine"? [closed]
On a bus, if the leg of someone near you comes into contact with yours, can you say “Your leg touched mine”? Or is “touch” only used when hands are involved? Thank you.
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2
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What does ‘capture by employees’ mean in 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕 in the context of being a ‘vice’ of speculative activity in investment banking?
What is ‘capture by employees’?
In this past week’s January 26th issue of The Economist, the phrase capture by employees appears in a leading article* titled “The Humbling of Goldman Sachs” in this ...
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3
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What kind of poultry are ‘Chesters’, and why are they called that?
What is the bird that’s called a Chester? Is it some special kind of chicken? This is some sort of edible poultry, so like a duck or a turkey or a goose or a pheasant or a partridge might be, not like ...
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3
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How recent is the usage of “concerning” meaning “worrying”?
I’m used to “concerning” meaning
relating to or having to do with; in regard to; about
Now I see it more often in the sense of “worrying” as in “this is very concerning.”
Is this a particularly new ...
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2
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Does anyone know the word for this situation? [duplicate]
The situation is when a writer's verbosity obscures meaning.
For example, legal books use center-embedding and unnecessary phrases which can be written simpler. This phenomenon only further confuses ...
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2
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48
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Usage of optimism
Optimism usually suggests a positive, hopeful attitude. However, does it always have to be related to a silver lining in a cloud?
For example,
James got fired from his job. Look on the bright side! ...
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1
answer
50
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Can 3 items work in tandem with each other?
Is the word tandem strictly used for 2 things working together or can it also apply to 3 things working together?
For example is it correct to say "Advertising, pricing, and consumer preference ...
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1
answer
49
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Why is the word 'talentful' not commonly in use anymore and is it incorrect English now?
I wrote this sentence:
This helping hand should come from the government as companies might ask the talentful students to appear on their advertisements in return, which is unethical.
Grammarly ...
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2
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40
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Forecasted? Really? [duplicate]
“Forecast” has always been past, present, and future. Lately I’m hearing and reading “forecasted” to describe weather or conditions that are to be expected. It sounds and reads as if an ignorant child ...
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4
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American vs British use of "the" in “after (the) summer break was over”
Which one is the correct one? Or do they depend if we're using American/British English?
A: She went there after the summer break was over.
or
B: She went there after summer break was over.
A British ...
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1
answer
74
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Are adverbs like "basically", "really", "definitely" wordy in essay writing? [closed]
I use Grammarly to help my writing. I notice that whenever I use adverbs like "basically", "really", "definitely", Grammarly will say these words are unnecessary, wordy ...
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2
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54
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Why can a sentence finish in a preposition? [duplicate]
I've seen a lot of sentences that finish in a preposition.
For example,
She never took a taxi, even though she could afford to.
Why isn't this sentence like this?
She never took a taxi, even though ...
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votes
2
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134
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Inanimate object equivalent of “victim”
I am writing an article about a machine, that for a long time, was blamed for causing multiple fatalities as it was wrongfully believed that it had something mechanically/electrically wrong with it ...
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