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The preposition to primarily indicates approach and arrival, motion made in the direction of a place or thing and attaining it, access; and also, motion or tendency without arrival; movement toward; -- opposed to Ant: from. "To Canterbury they wend." Chaucer. Stay with us, go not to Wittenberg. Shak. So to the sylvan l…

An obsolete intensive prefix used in the formation of compound verbs; as in to-beat, to-break, to-hew, to-rend, to-tear. See these words in the Vocabulary. See the Note on All to, or All-to, under All, adv.

To beat thoroughly or severely. [Obs.] Layamon.

To break completely; to break in pieces. [Obs.] With nose and mouth to-broke. Chaucer.

To burst or break in pieces. [Obs.] Chaucer.

On this day; on the present day. Worcester's horse came but to-day. Shak.

Bustle; stir; commotion; ado. [Colloq.]

A lean-to. See Lean-to.

A name added, for the sake of distinction, to one's surname, or used instead of it. [Scot.] Jamieson.

To rend in pieces. [Obs.] The wolf hath many a sheep and lamb to-rent. Chaucer.

Any one of numerous species of batrachians belonging to the genus Bufo and allied genera, especially those of the family Bufonidæ. Toads are generally terrestrial in their habits except during the breeding season, when they seek the water. Most of the species burrow beneath the earth in the daytime and come forth to fe…

A fawning, obsequious parasite; a mean sycophant; a flatterer; a toady. V. Knox. You had nearly imposed upon me, but you have lost your labor. You're too zealous a toadeater, and betray yourself. Dickens.

enus Batrachus, having a large, thick head and a wide mouth, and bearing some resemblance to a toad. The American species (Batrachus tau) is very common in shallow water. Called also oyster fish, and sapo.

An herb (Linaria vulgaris) of the Figwort family, having narrow leaves and showy orange and yellow flowers; -- called also butter and eggs, flaxweed, and ramsted.

The golden plover. [Local, U.S.]

Like a toad. [Obs.] A. Stafford.

A small toad. [R.] Coleridge.

A local name for the igneous rocks of Derbyshire, England; -- said by some to be derived from the German todter stein, meaning dead stone, that is, stone which contains no ores.

A name given to many umbrella-shaped fungi, mostly of the genus Agaricus. The species are almost numberless. They grow on decaying organic matter.

A mean flatterer; a toadeater; a sycophant. Before I had been standing at the window five minutes, they somehow conveyed to me that they were all toadies and humbugs. Dickens.