that

alternative 'at · alternative contraction pronunciation spelling 't · alternative dat · alternative thet · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt · alternative abbreviation obsolete yᵗ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yͭ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt.

1. Introducing a clause that is the object of a verb, especially a reporting verb or verb expressing belief, knowledge, perception, etc.

   I believe that it is true.

   3 more examples

   He told me that the book is a good read.

   I can see that the ladder won't reach.

   Pidgin is a combination of expressions and phrases that are recognizable to those who speak it. To non-Pidgin speakers, it may sound like slang. For example, “dat” means that and “fadda” means father or dad.

   2015 November 12, Bu Kerry Chan Laddaran, “Pidgin English now an official language of Hawaii”, in CNN

2. Introducing a clause that is the subject of a verb, especially the 'be' verb or a verb expressing judgement, opinion, etc.
   1. As delayed subject.

      It is almost certain that she will come.

      1 more example

      It amazes me that people still believe this nonsense.

   2. literaryAs direct subject.

      That she will come is almost certain.

      1 more example

      That people still believe this nonsense amazes me.

3. Introducing the complement of a mandative verb.

   I insist that you come.

   1 more example

   The boss ordered that the worker enter the room.

4. Introducing a clause that complements an adjective or passive participle.

   I'm sure that you are right.

   1 more example

   She is convinced that he is British.

   1. Expressing a reason or cause: because, in that.

      Be glad that you have enough to eat.

      1 more example

      I was saddened that you felt so little for me.

5. Introducing a subordinate clause modifying an adverb.

   Was John there? — Not that I saw.

   2 more examples

   How often did she visit him? — Twice that I saw.

   "[…

   c. 1867, Anthony Trollope, The Claverings

6. Introducing a clause that describes the information content of a preceding reporting noun.

   I heard a rumour that they got married.

   1 more example

   Reports that he left the country are circulating.

7. Introducing — especially, but not exclusively, with an antecedent like so or such — a subordinate clause expressing a result, consequence, or effect.

   The noise was so loud that she woke up.

   2 more examples

   The problem was sufficiently important that it had to be addressed.

   My dad apparently always said that no child of his would ever be harassed for its poor eating habits, and then I arrived, and I was so disgusting that he revised his opinion.

   2008 May 23, Zoe Williams, “I swore I wouldn't be an embarrassing mother. But the key to being a success in life is changing your mind, right?”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Aug 2014

8. datedIntroducing a subordinate clause that expresses an aim, purpose, or goal ("final"), and usually contains the auxiliaries may, might, or should: so, so that, in order that.

   He fought that others might have peace.

   5 more examples

   Baſſ[anio]. Be aſſured you may. / Shy[lock]. I will be aſſured I may: and that I may be aſſured, I will bethinke me, may I ſpeake with Anthonio?

   c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], signature B2, verso

   When hungry Judges ſoon the Sentence ſign, / And Wretches hang that Jury-men may Dine; […]

   1712 May, [Alexander Pope], “The Rape of the Locke. An Heroi-comical Poem.”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, canto I, page 360

   Ellen's mamma was going out to pay a visit, but she left the children a large piece of rich plumcake to divide between them, that they might play at making feasts.

   1833, Parley's Magazine, volume 1, page 23

   That he might ascertain whether any of the cloths of ancient Egypt were made of hemp, M. Dutrochet has examined with the microscope the weavable filaments of this last vegetable.

   1837, The Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, volume 23, page 222

   […]Since one might well forget to weep who bore / Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby. / But love me for love's sake, that evermore / Thou may'st love on through love's eternity.

   c. 1845–1846, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Sonnets from the Portuguese”, in Poems. […], new edition, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], published 1850, →OCLC, sonnet XIV, page 451

9. archaicpoeticIntroducing a premise or supposition for consideration: seeing as; inasmuch as; given that; as would appear from the fact that.

   What are you mad, that you doe reaſon ſo?

   c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 91, column 2

   2 more examples

   [I]n short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

   1859, Charles Dickens, “The Period”, in A Tale of Two Cities, London: Chapman and Hall, […], →OCLC, book I (Recalled to Life), page 1

   “She must be wonderfully fascinating,” said Mrs Morel, with scathing satire. “She must be very wonderful, that you should trail eight miles, backward and forward, after eight o’clock at night.”

   c. 1911, D.H. Lawrence, third draft of what became Sons and Lovers, in Helen Baron (editor), Paul Morel, Cambridge University Press (2003), page 234

10. archaicpoeticIntroducing an exclamation expressing a desire or wish.

    Oh that spring would come!

    2 more examples

    O that they were wiſe, and vnderſtoode, […]

    1609, The Holie Bible, […] (Douay–Rheims Bible), Doway: Laurence Kellam, […], →OCLC, Deuteronomie 32:29, page 463

    'Would that my rage and wrath would somehow stir me, / Here as I am, to cut off thy raw flesh / And eat it, […]

    1864, T. S. Norgate's translation of the Iliad, book 10, page 613

11. archaicpoeticIntroducing an exclamation expressing a strong emotion such as sadness or surprise.

    Oh that I'd never set eyes on him!

    3 more examples

    That men should behave in such a way!

    That you could think such a thing!

    I pray thee marke me, that a brother ſhould / Be ſo perfidious: […]

    1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 2, column 2

plural those · alternative 'at · alternative contraction pronunciation spelling 't · alternative dat · alternative thet · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt · alternative abbreviation obsolete yᵗ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yͭ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt.

1. demonstrativeThe (thing, person, idea, etc) indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote physically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.

   That battle was in 1450.

   5 more examples

   That book is a good read. This one isn't.

   That cat of yours is evil.

   The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; for, even after she had conquered her love for the Celebrity, the mortification of having been jilted by him remained.

   1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC, page 110

   She was like a Beardsley Salome, he had said. And indeed she had the narrow eyes and the high cheekbone of that creation, and as nearly the sinuosity as is compatible with human symmetry.

   1921, Ben Travers, “Westward Ho!”, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC, part I (“Come He Will”), page 8

   ‘No. I only opened the door a foot and put my head in. The street lamps shine into that room. I could see him. He was all right. Sleeping like a great grampus. Poor, poor chap.’

   1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 242

plural those · alternative 'at · alternative contraction pronunciation spelling 't · alternative dat · alternative thet · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt · alternative abbreviation obsolete yᵗ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yͭ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt.

1. demonstrativeThe thing, person, idea, quality, event, action, or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as "this", or if expressing distinction.First known use 9ᵗʰc.

   That's my car over there.

   5 more examples

   He went home, and after that I never saw him again.

   ‘Who's that?’ ‘It’s me.’.

   To be, or not to be, that is the queſtion, / Whether tis nobler in the minde to ſuffer / The ſlings and arrowes of outragious fortune, / Or to take Armes againſt a ſea of troubles, / And by oppoſing, end them, […]

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i], signature G2, recto

   [A] second man—[…]—was qualified and fitted, both intellectually and morally,—and that to an exceptional extent—to be the Head […]

   1888 July, The Original Secession Magazine, page 766

   "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. Then I ran away and sold papers in the streets, and anything else that I could pick up a few coppers by—except steal. I never did that. I always made up my mind I'd be a big man some day, and—I'm glad I didn't steal."

   1909 September 9, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], “In the Bay of Biscay”, in The Squire’s Daughter, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 16

   1. demonstrativeUsed to refer to a noun phrase or statement just made.

      I got fed up, and that to a great degree.

      3 more examples

      They're getting divorced. What do you think about that?

      They gave me the book about whales. That I've not yet read.

      She asked me to lend him my tools. That I couldn't do.

   2. demonstrativeUsed to emphatically affirm or deny a previous statement or question.

      The water is so cold! — That it is.

      2 more examples

      Would you like another piece of cake? — That I would!

      We think that you stole the tarts. — That I did not!

2. relativeplural thatIn a relative clause, referring to a previously mentioned noun, as subject, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition; which, who.First known use 9ᵗʰc.

   I didn't see the car that hit me.

   5 more examples

   The CPR course that she took really came in handy.

   The house that he lived in was old and dilapidated.

   This is the person that swore at me. (sometimes proscribed)

   The poor cat, that had been trapped for three days, was freed this morning. (non-restrictive use; sometimes proscribed; see usage notes)

   By heauen ile make a ghoſt of him that lets me, […]

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], signature C3, verso

3. colloquialrelativeUsed in place of relative adverbs such as where or when; often omitted.

   the last time that [= when] I went to Europe

   1 more example

   the place that [= where or to which] I went last year

alternative 'at · alternative contraction pronunciation spelling 't · alternative dat · alternative thet · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt · alternative abbreviation obsolete yᵗ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yͭ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt.

1. To a given extent or degree.
   1. not comparabledegreeDenoting an equal degree.

      Here's the measurement – the ribbon must be that long, no longer and no shorter.

   2. not comparabledegreeDenoting 'as much', 'no less'.

      It didn't seem like ten miles, but actually it was that far.

      1 more example

      She said we waited for three hours, but I'm sure it wasn't that long.

2. not comparableoftendegreeTo a great extent or degree; very, particularly.

   How was the play? ~ Not all that good.

   3 more examples

   I was seen quite quickly — I didn't have to wait that long.

   I did the run last year, and it wasn't that difficult.

   You're fun to spend time with, but I'm not that into you.

   Synonyms: so

3. AustraliaUKinformalnot comparableTo such an extent; so.

   Ooh, I was that happy I nearly kissed her.

   1 more example

   This was carried with that little noise that for a good space the vigilant Bishop was not awak'd with it.

   1693, John Hacket, “Scrinia reserata: a Memorial offered to the great Deservings of John Williams”, in Archbishop Williams

plural thats · alternative 'at · alternative contraction pronunciation spelling 't · alternative dat · alternative thet · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt · alternative abbreviation obsolete yᵗ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yͭ · alternative abbreviation obsolete yt.

1. human sciencesSomething being indicated that is there; one of those.

   As such, they do not have the ontological weight of "Being" and "Not-being," but serve simply as an explanatory vocabulary necessary to describe our world of thises and thats.

   1998, David L. Hall, Roger T. Ames, Thinking from the Han, page 247