on
verb
- To switch on
"Can you on the light?"
adjective
- In the state of being active, functioning or operating.
"All the lights are on, so they must be home."
- Performing according to schedule; taking place.
"Are we still on for tonight?"
- Fitted; covering; being worn.
"I was trying to drink out of the bottle while the top was still on!"
- (usually negative) Acceptable, appropriate.
"You can't do that; it's just not on."
- Destined, normally in the context of a challenge being accepted; involved, doomed.
""Five bucks says the Cavs win tonight." ―"You're on!""
- Having reached a base as a runner and being positioned there, awaiting further action from a subsequent batter.
- Within the half of the field on the same side as the batsman's legs; the left side for a right-handed batsman.
"Ponsonby-Smythe hit a thumping on drive."
- Menstruating.
adverb
- To an operating state.
"turn the television on"
- So as to cover or be fitted.
"Put on your hat and gloves."
- Along, forwards (continuing an action).
"drive on, rock on"
- In continuation, at length.
"He rambled on and on."
- (obsolete in the US) Later.
"Ten years on, nothing had changed in the village."
- Of betting odds, denoting a better-than-even chance. See also odds-on.
"That horse is twenty-to-one on, so you need to stake twenty pounds just to win one pound."
preposition
- Positioned at the upper surface of, touching from above.
"A vase of flowers stood on the table."
- Positioned at or resting against the outer surface of; attached to.
"He had a scar on the side of his face."
- Expressing figurative placement or attachment.
"All of the responsibility is on him."
- Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with.
"to play on a violin or piano"
- At or in (a certain region or location).
"The lighthouse that you can see is on the mainland."
- Near; adjacent to; alongside.
"Croton-on-Hudson, Rostov-on-Don, Southend-on-Sea"
- Supported by (the specified part of itself).
"A table can't stand on two legs."
- So as to impart force to.
"tug on the rope; push hard on the door"
- So as to impact; against.
"I stubbed my toe on an old tree stump."
- Covering.
"He wore old shoes on his feet."
- (with certain modes of transport, especially public transport) Inside (a vehicle) for the purpose of travelling.
"on a bus, on a train, on a plane"
- At the date of.
"Born on the 4th of July."
- Some time during the day of.
"Can I see you on a different day?"
- At a given time after the start of something; at.
"Smith scored again on twelve minutes, doubling Mudchester Rovers' lead."
- Dealing with the subject of; about; concerning.
"I have no opinion on this subject."
- In the possession of.
"I haven't got any money on me."
- Because of, or due to.
"to arrest someone on suspicion of bribery"
- Upon; at the time of (and often because of).
"On Jack's entry, William got up to leave."
- Paid for by.
"I paid for the airfare and meals for my family, but the hotel room was on the company."
- Indicating a means or medium.
"Can't you see I'm on the phone?"
- Indicating the target of, or thing affected by, an event or action.
"Her words made a lasting impression on my mind."
- Toward; for; indicating the object of an emotion.
"Have pity or compassion on him."
- Indicating a means of subsistence.
"The dog survived three weeks on rainwater."
- Away or occupied with (e.g. a scheduled activity).
"He's on his lunch break."
- Regularly taking (a drug).
"He's acting so strangely, I think he must be on something."
- Under the influence of (a drug).
"He's acting crazy because he's on crack right now."
- Having identical domain and codomain.
"a function on"
- Having V^n as domain and V as codomain, for some set V and integer n.
"an operator on"
- Generated by.
"the free group on four letters"
- In addition to; besides; indicating multiplication or succession in a series.
"heaps on heaps of food"
- Of
- Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in.
"He will promise on certain conditions."
- At the peril of, or for the safety of.
- In the service of; connected with; of the number of.
"He is on a newspaper; I am on the committee."
- By virtue of; with the pledge of.
"He affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honour."
- To the account or detriment of; denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon.
"A curse on him!"
- (especially when numbers of combatants or competitors are specified) Against; in opposition to.
"The fight was three on one, and he never stood a chance."
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