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Discussion Groups / English Usage / June 2010Definitions not found in the dictionary!
Definitions not found in the dictionary! I found a second meaning that is not listed in the dictionaries I've looked at. Dictionary.com has entries from RH and ADHD3. 1. For "seal" it has lots of defs., but not the one most used all of my life: to close an opening so that it's hard for anything to get in or out (or so that nothing can get in or out.) Instead the closest meanings to that are about assurance that something hasn't been opened. 2. The meaning I found missing years ago, for "back" is not at all the most common meaning, but it's very common where I've lived. The phone rings but one can't get to the phone in time before it stops rinnging. And there is no phone machine or voice mail in operation. "Don't worry. He'll call back". "Back:, here, means "again". It doesn't mean in return because there is no requiement that the person calling be returing a call that the other person has already made. In fact, that doesn't matter. "Back" here means that he called once and he'll call again. back  SignaturePosters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in Western Pa. 10 years Indianapolis 7 years Chicago 6 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore 26 years >to close an opening so that it's hard for anything to get in >or out (or so that nothing can get in or out.) I would call that »close«. For example, you want a food container to be sealed, so that you'll notice when someone has had access to the food you bought. Closing the container in a manner that allows it to be opened and reclosed again without leaving a permanent modification is no sealing to me. >"Don't worry. He'll call back". Maybe this meaning is listed in the entry for »to call«. >> to close an opening so that it's hard for anything to get in >> or out (or so that nothing can get in or out.) [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > allows it to be opened and reclosed again without leaving > a permanent modification is no sealing to me. The packet of bread wraps in my refrigerator has what they call a "resealable opening", and what I call a press seal. At Christmas time, our post office has a reduced rate for sending card-only letters, provided that the envelope is not sealed. SignaturePeter Moylan, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. http://www.pmoylan.org For an e-mail address, see my web page. >>> to close an opening so that it's hard for anything to get in >>> or out (or so that nothing can get in or out.) [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >At Christmas time, our post office has a reduced rate for sending >card-only letters, provided that the envelope is not sealed. It actually has to be sealed. From OZ Post's site: "Seasonal greeting card enclosed in a sealed envelope and endorsed CARD ONLY - only available during November and December". http://auspost.com.au/personal/standard-delivery.html The same site says that "large letters" must be "rectangular in shape". This sort of redundancy annoys me. Along with "years of age" "red in colour". OTOH, they used to use "rectangular" and "oblong" in the same passage and this taught me the difference between the two. I now see that "oblong" is no longer there. Pity, but I can see why, their purpose is not to eddicate AUErs but to get people paying the correct postage. SignatureRichard Bollard Canberra Australia To email, I'm at AMT not spAMT. > I found a second meaning that is not listed in the dictionaries I've > looked at. Dictionary.com has entries from RH and ADHD3. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > meanings to that are about assurance that something hasn't been > opened. 3 here: http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/seal_1 1 here: http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/seal_2 > 2. The meaning I found missing years ago, for "back" is not at all the > most common meaning, but it's very common where I've lived. The > phone rings but one can't get to the phone in time before it stops > rinnging. And there is no phone machine or voice mail in operation. > "Don't worry. He'll call back". http://tinyurl.com/2am2l6d http://www.ldoceonline.com/Sport-topic/call_1 Marius Hancu >Definitions not found in the dictionary! > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >meanings to that are about assurance that something hasn't been >opened. My copy of AHD4 has for seal (n.): 2. b. To close hermetically That means so that nothing gets in or out. >2. The meaning I found missing years ago, for "back" is not at all the >most common meaning, but it's very common where I've lived. The [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >back If someone calls at your door and you aren't there or don't answer, they may come back later by physically returning to your house. If you view a phone call as a sort of excursion on the caller's part, then the "in return" meaning of "back" applies. SignatureJohn >>Definitions not found in the dictionary! >> [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >view a phone call as a sort of excursion on the caller's part, then >the "in return" meaning of "back" applies. Clarifying, this "return" isn't a return of the callee's call, but this meaning from AHD4: back (adv.): In, to, or toward a former location: went back for the class reunion. SignatureJohn > 1. For "seal" it has lots of defs., but not the one most used all of > my life: to close an opening so that it's hard for anything to get in > or out (or so that nothing can get in or out.) Look again. From RH it gives: > 22. > seal off, > a. > to close hermetically: to seal off a jar. From AH it gives: > n. 1. e. An airtight closure. ... > tr.v. 2. a. To close with or as if with a seal. > b. To close hermetically. ¬R > Definitions not found in the dictionary! > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > meanings to that are about assurance that something hasn't been > opened. Eh? Whan I search dictionary.com via onelook.com, I get this definition attributed to Random House: 17. to fasten or close tightly by or as if by a seal: She was sealing envelopes. My lips are sealed. And this attributed to American Heritage (4th, not 3rd): 2. a. To close with or as if with a seal. b. To close hermetically... SignatureMark Brader, Toronto "To great evils we submit; we resent msb@vex.net little provocations." -- W. Hazlitt, 1822 My text in this article is in the public domain. Thanks to all. I guess I was wrong, maybe even with the dictionaries I referred to. I do think it is a sly trick on their part to put the meaning of "back" under the listing for "call". Those little devils. >> Definitions not found in the dictionary! >> [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > 2. a. To close with or as if with a seal. b. To close hermetically... SignaturePosters should say where they live, and for which area they are asking questions. I was born and then lived in Western Pa. 10 years Indianapolis 7 years Chicago 6 years Brooklyn, NY 12 years Baltimore 26 years > Thanks to all. > > I guess I was wrong, maybe even with the dictionaries I referred to. > I do think it is a sly trick on their part to put the meaning of > "back" under the listing for "call". Those little devils. Could it be that "to call back" is best thought of as a phrasal verb? It would then seem to make quite good sense to include "call back" under the simple "call" definition. See: http://www.usingenglish.com/reference/phrasal-verbs/ - for links about phrasal verbs, and a search through their listing of phrasal verbs shows that "to call back" is indeed included as a phrasal verb. Important text from that site: "Phrasal verbs are idiomatic expressions, combining verbs and prepositions to make new verbs whose meaning is often not obvious from the dictionary definitions of the individual words. They are widely used in both written and spoken English, and new ones are formed all the time as they are a flexible way of creating new terms." - and an arguably even more important link included in the above already-given link, giving much more information about phrasal verbs can be found here: http://www.usingenglish.com/glossary/phrasal-verb.html The form "Jack called sally back" etc suggests that "to call back" is a separable phrasal verb. Hope this helps. SignatureZhang Dawei: (native BrEng speaker) Beijing, P.R.China. Private emails should use "Reply-To" address. This will remain valid for at least two weeks from the date of this message >> Thanks to all. >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > of phrasal verbs shows that "to call back" is indeed included as a > phrasal verb. Note that "call back" arose when "calling" meant coming to someone's door. So "call back" meant "come back and call again". "Call" was metaphorically extended to contact by telephone rather than in person, and "call back" was adopted as a phrasal verb. Eventually "call him" replaced "call on him", leading to "call him back". SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |If all else fails, embarrass the 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |industry into doing the right Palo Alto, CA 94304 |thing. | Dean Thompson kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ |
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