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on the meaning of 'word sense'
here is another example which is more interesting than the last one.
i would be happy to summarize the results if other people would like
to try disambiguating these instances and send me the results. i have
attached my decisions to let people make their own comparisons if they
would like to.
time has the following 50 senses in Longman's Dictionary of Common
English.
time
0100 a continuous measurable quantity from the past, through the
present, and into the future: The universe exists in space and
time 0200 the passing of the days, months, and years, taken as a
whole 0300 a system of measuring this: British Summer Time 0400 a
limited period as between 2 events, for the completion of an
action, etc.: It will take you a long time to learn French
properly. | Take more time and care over your work 0500 a period
in history: in ancient times | in Queen Victoria's time 0600 a
period or occasion and the particular experience connected with
it: We had a good time at the party. | The hard times of the
1930's 0700 the point at which something is expected to happen: to
die before one's time 0800 the regular period of work of a worker:
I work full time but my wife only works part time 0900 the rate of
pay received for an hour's work: I get time and a half for working
on Saturdays and double time for Sundays 1000 sl a period of
imprisonment: to do/serve time 1100 free or unfilled TIME^1 (4): I
doubt if he ever has time to watch television 1200 a particular
point in the day stated in hours, minutes, seconds, etc.: What's
the time? | ``What time's John coming to tea?'' ``About 4
o'clock'' 1300 (often in comb.) a particular point in the year,
day, etc.; moment for a particular activity or event: When it's
time to go to bed we say it's bedtime. | summertime 1400 the right
occasion: He's in a good temper, so now's the time to tell him
you've made a serious mistake 1500 the particular moment at which
something happens: What time's opening time/closing time? 1600 the
period in which an action is completed, esp. a performance in a
race: His time was just under 4 minutes 1700 an unlimited period
in the future: In time you'll forget him. | Only time will tell if
you're right 1800 tech the rate of speed of a piece of music: You
beat time and I'll play -see picture at NOTATION 1900 tech the
rate of speed of military marching 2000 [ against time ] in an
effort to finish something within a certain period: We're working
against time to get this dictionary finished 2100 [ ahead of one's
time ] having ideas too modern or original for the period in which
one is living 2200 [ ahead of time ] early 2300 [ all the time ]
continuously 2400 [ at one time ] formerly 2500 [ at the same time
] [ a ] together [ b ] in spite of this; yet: He can be very rude
but at the same time, I can't help liking him 2600 [ at the time ]
at the moment when something happened: I told you at the time that
I thought you were stupid 2700 [ bide one's time ] to wait for a
suitable chance 2800 [ for a time ] for a short period 2900 [ for
the time being ] for a limited period: Can you share a room for
the time being? We'll let you have one on your own next week 3000
[ from time to time ] sometimes 3100 [ have an easy time (of it)
infml ] to have money, possessions, a good job, etc., without
having fought hard for them 3200 [ have no time for infml ] to not
waste one's time in concerning oneself with (someone or
something); dislike 3300 [ in good time ] [ a ] at the right time
[ b ] early or soon enough to the concert in good time and make
sure we get a seat 3400 [ in one's own good time infml ] when one
is ready 3500 [ in no time (at all) ] very quickly 3600 [ in time
] [ a ] early or soon enough: Will you be home in time to see the
children before they go to bed? [ b ] following the correct TIME^1
(18, 19): to sing/march/play in time 3700 [ It's only a
question/matter of time ] It must happen; the only question is
when 3800 [ keep time ] [ a ] (of a clock, watch, etc.) to work
correctly [ b ] to follow the correct TIME^1 (18, 19) in music,
marching, etc. 3900 [ kill time ] to make time pass quickly by
doing something 4000 [ make good time ] to go at a speed that is
satisfactory or better than expected 4100 [ many a time ] often;
frequently 4200 [ on time ] at the right time: Do the trains ever
run on time here? 4300 [ once upon a time ] (often used at the
beginning of children's stories, to mean) at a time in the past
4400 [ one/two/three/etc. at a time ] singly/in groups of 2/3/etc.
4500 [ pass the time of day ] to have a short conversation 4600 [
play for time ] to act in a manner that delays a decision, event,
etc., until a time more suitable to oneself 4700 [ take one's time
] to be slow; go at one's own speed 4800 [ time after time ]
often; repeatedly 4900 [ time and (time) again ] often; repeatedly
5000 [ the time of one's life ] a very enjoyable experience
and here are 30 instances of time used as a noun taken at random from
the wall street journal. following this are my decisions.
(1) What I do want is to establish a clear, coherent and sustainable
policy to reduce our current account deficit over a reasonable
time horizon that is consistent with the problems of adjustment
that will be experienced by the surplus and the deficit countries
and is also consistent with price stability.
(2) But some government officials privately say they are upset that
Mr. Suhud is involved in a private downstream project while at the
same time he is a government official overseeing the smelter.
(3) Until they learned of Mr. Suhud's connection with the private
processing venture, the Japanese were baffled by his actions,
especially the export ban that is costing Indonesia export
earnings at a time of high world aluminum prices.
(4) Cable & Wireless PLC said it posted a 20% rise in pretax profit in
its fiscal first half ended Sept. 30, with its Mercury
Communications Telephone System in Britain reporting a profit for
the first time.
(5) During the 1980s, for the first time since the Depression, there
has been a sustained decline in home-ownership.
(6) Domestic bearing makers are quoting delivery times as long as a
year.
(7) In the election just ended, the number of people voting as a
proportion of those eligible by age to vote failed to go above 50%
for the first time in 64 years.
(8) The republic survived a long time with an electorate far smaller
as a percentage of the whole than today's.
(9) The interns, many of whom return each year for more part-time
work, earn as much as $3,000 for the season.
(10) The only American cola maker selling in India said that could
take time.
(11) The extension is expected to allow time for the British Panel on
Takeovers and Mergers to rule on the propriety of commitments
Pernod gained from Irish Distillers shareholders before
announcing its bid Sept. 5.
(12) After a time, Elise and Andrew recall the old days: the political
causes they shared and the chemistry between them.
(13) But now it's time for Testor to be a bit quieter.
(14) Its Stealth fighter, it turns out, doesn't look much at all like
the stubby, batlike plane pictured in the Air Force's press
release last week acknowledging for the first time the plane's
existence.
(15) And as for turning out a model based on the picture of the
F-117A, "we just don't feel what has been released at this point
in time is enough to go on."
(16) That also goes for the Northrop Corp. B-2 Stealth bomber
scheduled to be shown for the first time next week, he says.
(17) Now Mr. Sununu is about to pass the oil portrait of Sherman Adams
for the last time.
(18) Given the lowest oil prices in years and the near-unanimous
consensus that oil-import dependence is heading up dangerously
over the next decade, there could not be a better time for a
50-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax (phased in over five years at 10
cents a year), which would produce $50 billion in annual revenue
by 1993.
(19) At that time, Prime said Mr. Craig, formerly head of General
Electric Co.'s Information Services division, would succeed Mr.
Henson and named him to the posts of executive vice president and
chief operating officer.
(20) For the time being, at least, American Airlines, a unit of AMR
Corp., Midway Airlines and Southwest Airlines are holding off
from adopting the Continental fares.
(21) Third, we recommend a move to a two-year budget cycle that would
allow Congress time to reassess existing programs and set new
priorities.
(22) He has returned to the U.S. at least 40 times the past 10
years to do the "Iliad" thing, usually for not more than an hour
or two, at schools and colleges.
(23) "This is kind of study time," he said.
(24) The 1982 slump multiplied federal red ink two and a half times.
(25) In the rarified world of wine, there is one time of year when
even the snootiest sommelier likes a wine he can gulp.
(26) The wine has taken time to catch on among U.S. wine makers
because it's less profitable to produce than other varieties.
(27) "It is time for other members to sacrifice," he says.
(28) She says she prefers "steady, low prices" because she works 10
hours a day and doesn't "have time to be watching for sales."
(29) The case marks the first time the pension agency sought to hold a
company liable even though it didn't own the business when the
pension plan was terminated.
(30) The estimates don't take into account the positive effect of a
previously announced $220 million one-time in the fourth
quarter from a pension-plan change.
here are my efforts at determining the word senses in these examples.
don't take these as gospel.
(1) time_1
(2) time_26
(3) time_26
(4) time_15.
(5) time_15
(6) times_4
(7) time_15
(8) time_4
(9) time_8
(10) time_4.
(11) time_4
(12) time_4,
(13) time_14
(14) time_15
(15) time_15
(16) time_15
(17) time_15.
(18) time_14
(19) time_15,
(20) time_29
(21) time_4
(22) times_?
(23) time_4,"
(24) times_?
(25) time_13
(26) time_4
(27) time_13
(28) time_11
(29) time_15
(30) one-time_?