📖 I — The English dictionary · page 24

innumerable — Everyday, meaning 1: Too many to count.↗ Example: There were innumerable stars in the sky.↗ · The ants made innumerable tiny paths.↗ · The toys were innumerable.↗ · Yonder sea, great and wide, therein are creeping things innumerable, living creatures, both small and great.↗ (Writings PSA.104.25, JPS 1917)↗ · The clods of the valley are sweet unto him, and all men draw after him, as there were innumerable before him.↗ (Writings JOB.21.33, JPS 1917)↗ · They cut down her forest, saith the LORD, though it cannot be searched; because they are more than the locusts, and are innumerable.↗ (Prophets JER.46.23, JPS 1917)↗

inoffensive — Everyday, meaning 1: Not likely to upset, annoy or offend anyone; harmless.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Pleasant but rather dull or ordinary: an inoffensive colour.↗ Example: The joke was inoffensive, so everyone laughed.↗ · Grass snakes are inoffensive and won't hurt you.↗ · He was a quiet, inoffensive boy who never caused trouble.↗ · They painted the room an inoffensive cream.↗ · It's better to pick an inoffensive team name.↗ · The puppy was inoffensive, just very excited.↗

inoperative — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Inoperative means not working or not in use.↗ e.g. The lift is inoperative.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Inoperative can mean a rule or law that no longer has any effect.↗ Example: (formal) The lift is inoperative; please use the stairs.↗ · The smoke alarm was inoperative because the battery was flat.↗ · (formal) The ticket machine is currently inoperative.↗ · Two of the five lights were inoperative.↗ · The old rule became inoperative when the new one began.↗ · Report any inoperative equipment to the teacher.↗

inordinate — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Much more than is usual, reasonable or expected; too much.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unreasonably large: an inordinate amount of time.↗ Example: He spent an inordinate amount of time choosing a pencil.↗ · The queue caused an inordinate delay.↗ · She was inordinately proud of her sandcastle.↗ · We received an inordinate number of emails about lost property.↗ · The film was of inordinate length — almost four hours.↗ · The cat spends an inordinate amount of time asleep.↗

inquest — Everyday, meaning 1: (law) An official inquiry by a court, led by a coroner, to find out why and how a person died, when the death was sudden or unexplained.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) A long discussion after something has gone wrong to find out why: a post-match inquest.↗ Example: An inquest will be held into the accident.↗ · The coroner leads the inquest.↗ · The inquest found that the death was an accident.↗ · After the defeat, the team held an inquest.↗ · An inquest helps families understand what happened.↗ · The inquest was opened and adjourned.↗

inquire — Everyday, meaning 1: To ask for information about something: inquire about the times of trains.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) To ask someone something politely: «May I inquire your name?».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: To investigate officially: inquire into an accident.↗ Example: Mum inquired about swimming lessons at the leisure centre.↗ · «May I inquire where you are going?» asked the guard.↗ · The sign said «Part-time job — inquire within».↗ · The council will inquire into the playground accident.↗ · Grandma always inquires after my health.↗ · We inquired how long the train would take.↗ · "But why not?" inquired the prince.↗ · And they said: 'We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.'↗ (Torah GEN.24.57, JPS 1917)↗ · And Moses said unto his father-in-law: 'Because the people come unto me to inquire of God; (Torah EXO.18.15, JPS 1917)↗ · And the judges shall inquire diligently; and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; (Torah DEU.19.18, JPS 1917)↗ · Then David inquired of the LORD yet again.↗ (Prophets 1SA.23.4, JPS 1917)↗ · And David sent and inquired after the woman.↗ (Prophets 2SA.11.3, JPS 1917)↗ · And the king said: 'Inquire thou whose son the stripling is.'↗ (Prophets 1SA.17.56, JPS 1917)↗

inquirer — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A person who asks questions or looks into something.↗

inquiry — Everyday, meaning 1: An inquiry is a question you ask to get information.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: An inquiry is an official investigation to find out the truth about something, such as an accident.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: In school science, inquiry is learning by asking questions and testing them.↗ Example: I made an inquiry about the price of the tickets.↗ · The government held an inquiry into the train crash.↗ · Our science inquiry asked: «Which ball bounces highest?»↗ · Police are making inquiries about the stolen bike.↗ · Ask at the inquiry desk for help.↗ · Thank you for your inquiry; we will answer soon.↗ · The inquiry found that the bridge was unsafe.↗ · As regards the serious incidents further inquiry is needed.↗ · It is a snare to a man rashly to say: 'Holy', and after vows to make inquiry.↗ (Writings PRO.20.25, JPS 1917)↗

inquisition — In Jewish tradition, meaning 1: A long, hard, official questioning or investigation.↗ It is also the name of a harsh church court of the past.↗ Example: He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquisition, and setteth others in their stead.↗ (Writings JOB.34.24, JPS 1917)↗ · And when inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree; and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.↗ (Writings EST.2.23, JPS 1917)↗

inquisitive — Everyday, meaning 1: Wanting to know about things; asking many questions and looking into what is not your business.↗ Example: The inquisitive cat sniffed every box.↗ · Peter was inquisitive and asked many questions.↗ · Do not be so inquisitive about other people's letters.↗

insane — Everyday, meaning 1: (old or offensive when used of people) Seriously mentally ill; today doctors use «mental illness» instead.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (informal) Very foolish or crazy, as in «That's an insane idea».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (slang) Amazing or extreme, as in «That goal was insane!».↗ Example: That skateboard trick was insane!↗ (slang)↗ · It would be insane to swim in that storm.↗ · This homework is driving me insane.↗ · There was an insane amount of traffic.↗ · The price of those trainers is insane.↗ · Old books called people with mental illness «insane», but today we say «mentally ill».↗ · I do the most insane things I possibly can, and then I tell a poet about it, and thus the whole town gets to know of it directly."↗

insatiable — Everyday, meaning 1: Always wanting more and never satisfied: an insatiable appetite; an insatiable curiosity.↗ Example: The Elephant's Child had an insatiable curiosity.↗ · Caterpillars have an insatiable appetite.↗ · She has an insatiable love of books.↗ · The dragon's hunger for gold was insatiable.↗ · Toad had an insatiable craze for new things.↗ · Babies seem to have an insatiable need for milk.↗ · His thirst for knowledge was insatiable.↗ · Wherever I go, I am pursued by a longing that is insatiable--that I cannot explain to myself, and that tears my very heart.↗

inscribe — Everyday, meaning 1: To inscribe words or a design is to write, carve or engrave them on something, like stone, metal or a ring.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: To inscribe a book is to write a personal message in it.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (maths) To inscribe a shape inside another is to draw it so that it fits exactly inside, touching it, like a circle inscribed in a square.↗ Example: The names of the soldiers are inscribed on the stone.↗ · The trophy was inscribed with the winner's name.↗ · The author inscribed my book: «To Lily, keep reading!»↗ · Draw a circle inscribed in the square so it touches all four sides.↗ · Ancient Egyptians inscribed words on temple walls.↗ · Her bracelet is inscribed with her initials.↗ · A triangle inscribed in a circle has its corners on the circle.↗ · Prince Mannikin was seized with a violent desire to inscribe his name among the others, but the remembrance of his dependent position and his lack of wealth held him back.↗ · Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever.↗ (Prophets ISA.30.8, JPS 1917)↗

inscribed — Everyday, meaning 1: Inscribed means written, carved or printed on something, especially stone, metal or the inside of a book.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (maths) An inscribed shape is drawn inside another so that it just touches its sides or edges, like a circle inscribed in a square.↗ Example: The winner's name was inscribed on the cup.↗ · The ring was inscribed with her initials.↗ · Names of soldiers are inscribed on the memorial.↗ · Draw a circle inscribed in a square.↗ · A square inscribed in a circle has its four corners on the circle.↗ · The book was inscribed "To Tom, love from Gran".↗ · Then you will come to a column on which is a marble slab inscribed with Cufic characters.↗ · Oh that they were inscribed in a book!↗ (Writings JOB.19.23, JPS 1917)↗ · And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN.↗ (Writings DAN.5.25, JPS 1917)↗ · then was the palm of the hand sent from before Him, and this writing was inscribed.↗ (Writings DAN.5.24, JPS 1917)↗

inscription — Everyday, meaning 1: Words cut, carved or written on something hard, like stone, metal or a coin.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Words written by hand inside a book or on a photo, often to the person it is given to.↗ Example: The inscription on the old stone was hard to read.↗ · Our school trophy has an inscription with the winners' names.↗ · The bench in the park has an inscription for a kind neighbour.↗ · Grandad wrote an inscription inside the book he gave me.↗ · Coins have inscriptions around the edge.↗ · Archaeologists studied the inscription on the wall.↗ · The ring had a tiny inscription inside it.↗ · The houses and bridges were adorned with verses and inscriptions.↗

insect — Everyday, meaning 1: An insect is a small animal with six legs and a body in three parts (head, thorax, abdomen); most insects have wings and antennae.↗ Ants, bees, butterflies, beetles and flies are insects.↗ Example: A ladybird is a small insect.↗ · Insects have six legs.↗ · Bees are useful insects that pollinate flowers.↗ · We looked for insects under the log.↗ · The insect has two antennae.↗ · A caterpillar changes into a butterfly.↗ · Use insect repellent when camping.↗ · Count the legs: if there are eight, it is not an insect.↗ · "Away with you, vile insect!" said a Lion angrily to a Gnat that was buzzing around his head.↗

insectivore — Everyday, meaning 1: An animal or plant that eats mainly insects.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (science, older) A word once used for a group of small mammals like shrews, moles and hedgehogs.↗ Example: Bats are insectivores; one bat can eat hundreds of midges in a night.↗ · The hedgehog is an insectivore that hunts beetles and worms.↗ · A Venus flytrap is an insectivore plant.↗ · Anteaters are insectivores with long sticky tongues.↗ · Swallows are insectivores that catch flies in the air.↗ · Is a frog an insectivore or a carnivore?↗ Both words can fit.↗

insectivorous — Everyday, meaning 1: Insectivorous means eating insects as the main food.↗ Example: Bats are insectivorous and eat thousands of insects a night.↗ · The Venus flytrap is an insectivorous plant.↗ · Hedgehogs are insectivorous animals.↗ · Many birds are insectivorous in summer.↗ · Sundews are insectivorous plants that trap flies with sticky hairs.↗ · Insectivorous animals help control pests.↗

insecure — Everyday, meaning 1: An insecure person does not feel confident and worries that they are not good enough or not liked.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Insecure means not safe or protected, so it could be broken into, attacked or lost.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Insecure means not fixed firmly, so it might fall or move.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: An insecure job or home might be lost.↗ Example: She feels insecure about her new glasses.↗ · An insecure password like «abc123» is easy to guess.↗ · The ladder was insecure, so Dad held it.↗ · Sometimes bullies act tough because they feel insecure.↗ · The website was insecure, so we didn't type our address.↗ · Talking to friends helped him feel less insecure.↗ · Many families worry about insecure jobs.↗

insensible — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal) Unconscious; not awake or aware: knocked insensible.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (formal) Not aware of something or not caring about it: insensible to the danger.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Not able to feel something: insensible to cold.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (old) Too small or slow to notice: by insensible degrees.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Not insensible to something means being aware of it and feeling its effect.↗ Example: The fall knocked him insensible.↗ · She seemed insensible to the cold wind.↗ · He lay insensible on the floor until the doctor came.↗ · The king was insensible to the suffering of the poor.↗ · Frozen fingers become insensible to pain.↗ · In the old story, the hero drank the potion and fell insensible.↗ · I was not insensible to the advantages of his proposal, and gladly assured him of my acceptance.↗

insensitive — Everyday, meaning 1: Not noticing or caring about other people's feelings; saying or doing hurtful things.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Not able to feel or react to something: insensitive to pain, insensitive to light.↗ Example: Laughing at her haircut was insensitive.↗ · It was insensitive to talk about the party in front of the boy who wasn't invited.↗ · Some fish are insensitive to cold water.↗ · The old scales were insensitive to tiny weights.↗ · I'm sorry; that was an insensitive thing to say.↗ · Being insensitive to pain can be dangerous, because pain warns us.↗

inseparable — Everyday, meaning 1: Always together; such close friends that you can't keep them apart.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Impossible to separate: two ideas that are inseparable.↗ Example: Mia and Zoe have been inseparable since nursery.↗ · The boy and his dog were inseparable.↗ · For many people, Christmas is inseparable from family.↗ · The twins are inseparable and even finish each other's sentences.↗ · Rights and responsibilities are inseparable.↗ · «Look after» is an inseparable phrasal verb.↗ · Thought, speech and action are an inseparable unity in the divine being; God made or created, is metaphorically expressed by the word: writing.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗