dictionary definitions for "they"


From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  She \She\, pron. [sing. nom. She; poss. Her. or Hers; obj.
     Her; pl. nom. They; poss. Theiror Theirs; obj.
     Them.] [OE. she, sche, scheo, scho, AS. se['o], fem. of the
     definite article, originally a demonstrative pronoun; cf. OS.
     siu, D. zij, G. sie, OHG. siu, s[imac], si, Icel. s[=u],
     sj[=a], Goth. si she, s[=o], fem. article, Russ. siia, fem.,
     this, Gr. ?, fem. article, Skr. s[=a], sy[=a]. The possessive
     her or hers, and the objective her, are from a different
     root. See Her.]
     1. This or that female; the woman understood or referred to;
        the animal of the female sex, or object personified as
        feminine, which was spoken of.
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              She loved her children best in every wise.
                                                    --Chaucer.
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              Then Sarah denied, . . . for she was afraid. --Gen.
                                                    xviii. 15.
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     2. A woman; a female; -- used substantively. [R.]
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              Lady, you are the cruelest she alive. --Shak.
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     Note: She is used in composition with nouns of common gender,
           for female, to denote an animal of the female sex; as,
           a she-bear; a she-cat.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  They \They\ ([th][=a]), pron. pl.; poss. Theirs; obj. Them.
     [Icel. [thorn]eir they, properly nom. pl. masc. of s[=a],
     s[=u], [thorn]at, a demonstrative pronoun, akin to the
     English definite article, AS. s[=e], se['o], [eth]aet, nom.
     pl. [eth][=a]. See That.]
     The plural of he, she, or it. They is never used adjectively,
     but always as a pronoun proper, and sometimes refers to
     persons without an antecedent expressed.
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           Jolif and glad they went unto here [their] rest
           And casten hem [them] full early for to sail.
                                                    --Chaucer.
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           They of Italy salute you.                --Heb. xiii.
                                                    24.
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           Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
           righteousness.                           --Matt. v. 6.
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     Note: They is used indefinitely, as our ancestors used man,
           and as the French use on; as, they say (French on dit),
           that is, it is said by persons not specified.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  He \He\ (h[=e]), pron. [nom. He; poss. His (h[i^]z); obj.
     Him (h[i^]m); pl. nom. They ([th][=a]); poss. Their or
     Theirs ([th][^a]rz or [th][=a]rz); obj. Them
     ([th][e^]m).] [AS. h[=e], masc., he['o], fem., hit, neut.;
     pl. h[imac], or hie, hig; akin to OFries. hi, D. hij, OS. he,
     hi, G. heute to-day, Goth. himma, dat. masc., this, hina,
     accus. masc., and hita, accus. neut., and prob. to L. his
     this. [root]183. Cf. It.]
     1. The man or male being (or object personified to which the
        masculine gender is assigned), previously designated; a
        pronoun of the masculine gender, usually referring to a
        specified subject already indicated.
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              Thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall
              rule over thee.                       --Gen. iii.
                                                    16.
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              Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou
              serve.                                --Deut. x. 20.
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     2. Any one; the man or person; -- used indefinitely, and
        usually followed by a relative pronoun.
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              He that walketh with wise men shall be wise. --Prov.
                                                    xiii. 20.
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     3. Man; a male; any male person; -- in this sense used
        substantively. --Chaucer.
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              I stand to answer thee,
              Or any he, the proudest of thy sort.  --Shak.
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     Note: When a collective noun or a class is referred to, he is
           of common gender. In early English, he referred to a
           feminine or neuter noun, or to one in the plural, as
           well as to noun in the masculine singular. In
           composition, he denotes a male animal; as, a he-goat.
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