9 DET You use the with words such as 'rich', 'poor', or 'unemployed' to refer to all people of a particular type. □ …support for the unemployed.
10 DET If you want to refer to a whole family or to a married couple, you can make their surname into a plural and use the in front of it. □ The Taylors decided that they would employ an architect to do the work.
11 DET You use the in front of an adjective when you are referring to a particular thing that is described by that adjective. □ He knows he's wishing for the impossible. □ I thought you might like to read the enclosed.
12 DET You use the to indicate that you have enough of the thing mentioned for a particular purpose. □ She may not have the money to maintain or restore her property. □ We must have the patience to continue to work until we will find a peaceful solution.
13 DET You use the with some titles, place names, and other names. □ The company was alleged to have leaked the news to the Daily Mail. □ …the Albert Hall.
14 DET You use the in front of numbers such as first, second, and third. □ The meeting should take place on the fifth of May. □ Marco Polo is said to have sailed on the Pacific on his way to Java in the thirteenth century.
15 DET You use the in front of numbers when they refer to decades. □ It's sometimes hard to imagine how bad things were in the thirties.
16 DET You use the in front of superlative adjectives and adverbs. □ Brisk daily walks are still the best exercise for young and old alike.
17 DET You use the in front of each of two comparative adjectives or adverbs when you are describing how one amount or quality changes in relation to another. □ The longer you have been in shape in the past, the quicker you will regain fitness in future.
18 DET When you express rates, prices, and measurements, you can use the to say how many units apply to each of the items being measured. □ Cars do fewer miles to the litre on LPG fuel. □ Some analysts predicted that the exchange rate would soon be $2 to the pound.
19 DET You use the to indicate that something or someone is the most famous, important, or best thing of its kind. In spoken English, you put more stress on it, and in written English, you often underline it or write it in capitals or italics. □ Camden Market is the place to be on a Saturday or Sunday.
thea|tre ◆◆◇ /θiː ətə r / (theatres ) in AM, use theater 1 N‑COUNT A theatre is a building with a stage in it, on which plays, shows, and other performances take place. □ I worked at the Grand Theatre.
2 N‑SING You can refer to work in the theatre such as acting or writing plays as the theatre . □ You can move up to work in films and the theatre.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Theatre is entertainment that involves the performance of plays.
4 N‑COUNT A theater or a movie theater is a place where people go to watch films for entertainment. [AM ] in BRIT, use cinema 5 N‑COUNT In a hospital, a theatre is a special room where surgeons carry out medical operations. □ She is back from theatre and her condition is comfortable.
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A theatre of war or other conflict is the area or region in which the war or conflict is happening. □ [+ of ] …the Prussian army's battle to join up with Wellington, away from the main theatre of war. SYNONYMS theatre NOUN 1
playhouse: The Theatre Royal is one of the oldest playhouses in Britain.
auditorium: The Albert Hall is a huge auditorium.
amphitheatre: We visited the amphitheatre.
thea tre-goer (theatre-goers ) in AM, use theatergoer N‑COUNT Theatre-goers are people who are at the theatre to see a play, or who regularly go to the theatre to see plays.
the|at|ri|cal /θiæ tr I k ə l/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Theatrical means relating to the theatre. □ These are the prizes given for the most outstanding British theatrical performances of the year. ● the|at|ri|cal|ly /θiæ tr I kli/ ADV □ Shaffer's great gift lies in his ability to animate ideas theatrically.
2 ADJ Theatrical behaviour is exaggerated and unnatural, and intended to create an effect. □ In a theatrical gesture, Glass clamped his hand over his eyes. ● the|at|ri|cal|ly ADV □ He looked theatrically at his watch.
3 ADJ Theatrical can be used to describe something that is grand and dramatic, as if it is part of a performance in a theatre. □ There was a theatrical air about the whole scene which had a great appeal for me. ● the|at|ri|cal|ly ADV □ …a white hotel theatrically set along a ridge.
thee /ðiː/ PRON Thee is an old-fashioned, poetic, or religious word for 'you' when you are talking to only one person. It is used as the object of a verb or preposition. □ I miss thee, beloved father.
theft /θe ft/ (thefts ) N‑VAR [oft n N ] Theft is the crime of stealing. □ Art theft is now part of organised crime. [Also + of ]
their ◆◆◆ /ðeə r / Their is the third person plural possessive determiner. 1 DET You use their to indicate that something belongs or relates to the group of people, animals, or things that you are talking about. □ Janis and Kurt have announced their engagement. □ Horses were poking their heads over their stall doors.
2 DET You use their instead of 'his or her' to indicate that something belongs or relates to a person without saying whether that person is a man or a woman. Some people think this use is incorrect. □ Every member will receive their own 'Welcome to Labour' brochure.