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thing |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Thing \Thing\, Ting \Ting\, n. [Dan. thing ting, Norw. ting, or Sw ting.] In Scandinavian countries, a legislative or judicial assembly; -- used esp. in composition, in titles of such bodies. See {Legislature}, Norway. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Thing \Thing\ (th[i^]ng), n. [AS. [thorn]ing a thing cause assembly, judicial assembly; akin to [thorn]ingan to negotiate, [thorn]ingian to reconcile, conciliate, D. ding a thing OS thing thing assembly, judicial assembly, G. ding a thing formerly also an assembly, court, Icel. [thorn]ing a thing assembly, court, Sw & Dan. ting; perhaps originally used of the transaction of or before a popular assembly, or the time appointed for such an assembly; cf G. dingen to bargain, hire, MHG. dingen to hold court, speak before a court, negotiate, Goth. [thorn]eihs time, perhaps akin to L. tempus time. Cf {Hustings}, and {Temporal} of time.] 1. Whatever exists, or is conceived to exist, as a separate entity, whether animate or inanimate; any separable or distinguishable object of thought. God made . . . every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind --Gen. i. 25. He sent after this manner; ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt. --Gen. xiv. 23. A thing of beauty is a joy forever. --Keats. 2. An inanimate object, in distinction from a living being any lifeless material. Ye meads and groves, unconscious things! --Cowper. 3. A transaction or occurrence; an event; a deed. [And Jacob said] All these things are against me --Gen. xlii 36. Which if ye tell me I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things --Matt. xxi. 24. 4. A portion or part something Wicked men who understand any thing of wisdom. --Tillotson. 5. A diminutive or slighted object; any object viewed as merely existing; -- often used in pity or contempt. See sons, what things you are! --Shak. The poor thing sighed, and . . . turned from me --Addison. I'll be this abject thing no more --Granville. I have a thing in prose. --Swift. 6. pl Clothes; furniture; appurtenances; luggage; as to pack or store one's things [Colloq.] Note: Formerly, the singular was sometimes used in a plural or collective sense And them she gave her moebles and her thing --Chaucer. Note: Thing was used in a very general sense in Old English, and is still heard colloquially where some more definite term would be used in careful composition. In the garden [he] walketh to and fro, And hath his things [i. e., prayers, devotions] said full courteously. --Chaucer. Hearkening his minstrels their things play. --Chaucer. 7. (Law) Whatever may be possessed or owned; a property; -- distinguished from person. 8. [In this sense pronounced t[i^]ng.] In Scandinavian countries, a legislative or judicial assembly. --Longfellow. {Things personal}. (Law) Same as {Personal property}, under {Personal}. {Things real}. Same as {Real property}, under {Real}. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: thing n 1: a special situation; "this thing has got to end"; "it is a remarkable thing" 2: an action "how could you do such a thing?" 3: an artifact; "how does this thing work?" 4: an event: "a funny thing happened on the way to the..." 5: a statement regarded as an object; "to say the same thing in other terms" or "how can you say such a thing?" 6: any attribute or quality considered as having its own existence: "the thing I like about her is ..." 7: a special abstraction; "a thing of the spirit"; "things of the heart" 8: a vaguely specified concern; "several matters to attend to"; "it is none of your affair"; "things are going well" [syn: {matter}, {affair}] 9: an entity that is not named specifically; "I couldn't tell what the thing was" 10: a special objective: "the thing is to stay in bounds" 11: a persistent illogical feeling of desire or aversion: "he has a thing about seafood"; "she has a thing about him"
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