the
strong /ðiː/ weak /ði/, /ðə/ determinerDefinition
ALREADY KNOWN › used before nouns to refer to particular things or people that have already been talked about or are already known: Can you pass the salt? I'll pick you up at the station. That's the new restaurant I told you about.
ONLY ONE › used before nouns when only one of something exists: Have you seen the Eiffel Tower? I'd love to travel round the world.
SINGULAR NOUN › used before a singular noun to refer to all the things or people described by that noun: The tiger has become extinct in many countries.
ADJECTIVE › used before some adjectives to make them into nouns: a home for the elderly relatives of the deceased
COMPARE › used before each of two adjectives or adverbs to show how one thing changes depending on another: The longer we live here, the more we like it.
EACH › used with units or measurements to mean each or every: How many Belgian francs to the pound?
BODY › used when referring to a part of the body: He held her tightly by the arm.
TIME › used before numbers which refer to dates or periods of time: the sixties Thursday the 29th of April
MUSIC › used with the names of musical instruments or dances to mean the type of instrument or dance in general: Can you play the violin?
(Definition of the determiner from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary
© Cambridge University Press)
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