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8 N‑COUNT Thing is often used to refer back to something that has just been mentioned, either to emphasize it or to give more information about it. □  I never wanted to be normal. It was not a thing I ever thought desirable.

9 N‑COUNT A thing is a physical object that is considered as having no life of its own. □  It's not a thing, Beauchamp. It's a human being!

10 N‑COUNT Thing is used to refer to something, especially a physical object, when you want to express contempt or anger towards it. [SPOKEN , DISAPPROVAL ] □  Turn that thing off!

11 N‑COUNT [adj N ] You can call a person or an animal a particular thing when you want to mention a particular quality that they have and express your feelings towards them, usually affectionate feelings. [INFORMAL ] □  You really are quite a clever little thing.

12 N‑PLURAL Your things are your clothes or possessions. □  Sara told him to take all his things and not to return.

13 N‑PLURAL Things can refer to the situation or life in general and the way it is changing or affecting you. □  Everyone agrees things are getting better.

14 N‑SING [oft N to-inf] If you say that something is the thing , you mean that it is fashionable or popular. □  I feel under pressure to go out and get drunk because it's the thing to do.

15 PHRASE If, for example, you do the right thing or do the decent thing in a situation, you do something which is considered correct or socially acceptable in that situation. □  People want to do the right thing and buy 'green'. □  Carrington did the honourable thing and resigned.

16 PHRASE If you say that something is the done thing , you mean it is the most socially acceptable way to behave. [BRIT ] □  It was not the done thing. In those days the man was supposed to be the provider.

17 PHRASE If you do something first thing , you do it at the beginning of the day, before you do anything else. If you do it last thing , you do it at the end of the day, before you go to bed or go to sleep. □  I'll go see her, first thing. □  I always do it last thing on a Saturday.

18 PHRASE If you have a thing about someone or something, you have very strong feelings about them. [INFORMAL ] □  I had always had a thing about red hair. □  He's got this thing about ties.

19 PHRASE You say it is a good thing to do something to introduce a piece of advice or a comment on a situation or activity. □  Can you tell me whether it is a good thing to prune an apple tree?

20 PHRASE If you make a thing of something or make a thing about it, you talk about it or do it in an exaggerated way, so that it seems much more important than it really is. [INFORMAL ] □  Gossips made a big thing about him going on shopping trips with her.

21 PHRASE You can say that the first of two ideas, actions, or situations is one thing when you want to contrast it with a second idea, action, or situation and emphasize that the second one is much more difficult, important, or extreme. [EMPHASIS ] □  It was one thing to talk about leaving; it was another to physically walk out the door.

22 PHRASE You can say for one thing when you are explaining a statement or answering a question, to suggest that you are not giving the whole explanation or answer, and that there are other points that you could add to it. □  She was a monster. For one thing, she really enjoyed cruelty.

23 PHRASE You can use the expression ' one thing and another ' to suggest that there are several reasons for something or several items on a list, but you are not going to explain or mention them all. [SPOKEN ] □  What with one thing and another, it was fairly late in the day when we returned to Shrewsbury.