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thing

 [thing]   Example Sentences Origin

thing

1   [thing]
noun
1.
a material object without life or consciousness; an inanimate object.
2.
some entity, object, or creature that is not or cannot be specifically designated or precisely described: The stick had a brass thing on it.
3.
anything that is or may become an object of thought: things of the spirit.
4.
things, matters; affairs: Things are going well now.
5.
a fact, circumstance, or state of affairs: It is a curious thing.
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6.
an action, deed, event, or performance: to do great things; His death was a horrible thing.
7.
a particular, respect, or detail: perfect in all things.
8.
aim; objective: The thing is to reach this line with the ball.
9.
an article of clothing: I don't have a thing to wear.
10.
things,
a.
implements, utensils, or other articles for service: I'll wash the breakfast things.
b.
personal possessions or belongings: Pack your things and go!
11.
a task; chore: I've got a lot of things to do today.
12.
a living being or creature: His baby's a cute little thing.
13.
a thought or statement: I have just one thing to say to you.
14.
Informal. a peculiar attitude or feeling, either positive or negative, toward something; mental quirk: She has a thing about cats.
15.
something signified or represented, as distinguished from a word, symbol, or idea representing it.
16.
Law. anything that may be the subject of a property right.
17.
new thing, Jazz. free jazz.
18.
the thing,
a.
something that is correct or fashionable: That café is the thing now.
b.
that which is expedient or necessary: The thing to do is to tell them the truth.
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Idioms
19.
do/find one's own thing, Informal. to pursue a lifestyle that expresses one's self. Also, do/find one's thing.
20.
make a good thing of, Informal. to turn (a situation, experience, etc.) to one's own profit; benefit by: She made a good thing of her spare-time hobbies.
21.
not to get a thing out of,
a.
to be unable to obtain information or news from: The police couldn't get a thing out of him.
b.
to fail to appreciate, understand, or derive aesthetic pleasure from: My wife likes opera, but I don't get a thing out of it.
22.
see/hear things, Informal. to have hallucinations.

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Thing is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
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Origin:
before 900; Middle English; Old English: orig., meeting; see thing2
Example Sentences
  • The first thing one learns is there is no such thing as an environmental expert.
  • Most casual visitors will swear time has stopped dead, that the only thing growing faster than the wheat is boredom.
  • Some camera work, some stroking, and next thing you know you're out of your own body.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

thing

2   [thing, ting]
noun
(in Scandinavian countries) a public meeting or assembly, especially a legislative assembly or a court of law.
Also, ting.
Compare thingstead.

Origin:
1830–40; < Old Norse: assembly; cognate with thing1, Dutch ding, German Ding thing, orig., meeting; akin to Gothic theihs time
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To THING
Collins
World English Dictionary
thing1 (θɪŋ)
 
—n
1.  an object, fact, affair, circumstance, or concept considered as being a separate entity
2.  any inanimate object
3.  an object or entity that cannot or need not be precisely named
4.  informal a person or animal regarded as the object of pity, contempt, etc: you poor thing
5.  an event or act
6.  a thought or statement
7.  law any object or right that may be the subject of property (as distinguished from a person)
8.  a device, means, or instrument
9.  (often plural) a possession, article of clothing, etc
10.  informal the normal pattern of behaviour in a particular context: not interested in the marriage thing
11.  informal a mental attitude, preoccupation or obsession (esp in the phrase have a thing about)
12.  an activity or mode of behaviour satisfying to one's personality (esp in the phrase do one's (own) thing)
13.  the done thing acceptable or normal behaviour
14.  the thing the latest fashion
15.  be on to a good thing to be in a profitable situation or position
16.  make a thing of to make a fuss about; exaggerate the importance of
 
[Old English thing assembly; related to Old Norse thing assembly, Old High German ding assembly]

thing2 (θɪŋ, tɪŋ)
 
—n
(often capital) Also: ting a law court or public assembly in the Scandinavian countries
 
[C19: from Old Norse thing assembly (the same word as thing1)]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

thing
O.E. þing "meeting, assembly," later "entity, being, matter" (subject of deliberation in an assembly), also "act, deed, event, material object, body, being," from P.Gmc. *thengan "appointed time" (cf. O.Fris. thing "assembly, council, suit, matter, thing," M.Du. dinc "court-day, suit, plea, concern,
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affair, thing," Du. ding "thing," O.H.G. ding "public assembly for judgment and business, lawsuit," Ger. ding "affair, matter, thing," O.N. þing "public assembly"). Some suggest an ultimate connection to PIE root *ten- "stretch," perhaps on notion of "stretch of time for a meeting or assembly." For sense evolution, cf. Fr. chose, Sp. cosa "thing," from L. causa "judicial process, lawsuit, case;" L. res "affair, thing," also "case at law, cause." Old sense is preserved in second element of hustings and in Icelandic Althing, the nation's general assembly. Southern U.S. pronunciation thang attested from 1937. The thing "what's stylish or fashionable" is recorded from 1762. Phrase do your thing "follow your particular predilection," though associated with hippie-speak of 1960s is attested from 1841. Used colloquially since 1602 to indicate things the speaker can't name at the moment, often with various meaningless suffixes, e.g. thingumbob (1751), thingamajig (1824).
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary

thing definition


  1. n.
    one's interest; one's bag. : This isn't exactly my thing, but I'll give it a try.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

thing

In addition to the idiom beginning with thing, also see all the rage (thing); all things to all men; amount to the same thing; do one's thing; first thing; first things first; for one (thing); get (a thing) going; get into the swing of things; greatest thing since sliced bread; have a good thing going; have a thing about; just one of those things; know all the answers (a thing or two); little knowledge is a dangerous thing; near thing; no such thing; not know beans (the first thing); of all things; other things being equal; seeing things; sure thing; the latest (thing); the thing; the thing is; too much of a good thing; very thing.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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