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# one

«one» in Mova's school dictionary: **the number 1, the first and smallest whole number above zero** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

number (one, ones); pronoun (one, ones; one another); determiner; adjective (the one and only)

### meaning for a pupil

1) One is the number 1, the first and smallest whole number above zero. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m1)

2) One means a single person or thing: one cup. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m2)

3) As a pronoun, one stands for a thing already named: I want the red one. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m3)

4) One can mean any person: One must be careful. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m4)

5) «One another» means each other. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m5)

6) One can mean «a certain»: one day, one morning. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m6)

7) (casual) «A quick one» means a short drink or visit; «you're a funny one» means you're odd; «nice one!» (UK, Australia) means well done; «I owe you one» means I owe you a favour; «one sec» means wait a moment. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m7)

8) (rough) «Give someone one», «land one on someone» means hit them; «you're a right one» is a sarcastic put-down. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m8)

9) (formal) The exam voice says «a single», «unity», «a solitary», «one unit», «per unit», «a sole». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#m9)

### sense in the lessons

an amount; «the size of one group» (one factor in multiplying); «one box holds 6 eggs» = size of one group; in maths ones are the units place (in 23 there are 3 ones); in everyday life «one by one», «one day» (in stories, some day), «one more», «one at a time»; in casual talk «nice one», «one sec», «I owe you one»; in the exam voice «a single unit», «per unit», «unity»

### examples

- I add one plum on the table. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x1)
- We multiply the number of groups by the size of one group. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x2)
- One box holds 6 eggs. How many eggs are in 4 boxes? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x3)
- I have one brother and two sisters. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x4)
- Which hat do you like? The blue one. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x5)
- The children came in one by one. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x6)
- In 47 there are 4 tens and 7 ones. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x7)
- One day, a little fox left the forest. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x8)
- Any number times one stays the same. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x9)
- one sec, gotta grab 1 more chair [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x10)
- You got 20 out of 20? Nice one! [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x11)
- A single carton accommodates 6 eggs; determine the capacity of 4 such cartons. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x12)
- One swallow does not make summer. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/#x13)

### note

A number word: read it as 1. Trap: «one» can mean a person in a comparison, as in «than another one»; «one day» starts a story and is not a count of days; «one sec» is a short wait, not a second exactly. Order word «first» (1st). Any number multiplied by 1 stays the same. «a single» and «unity» in an exam mean one. Do not mix «one» with «won» (past of win): they sound the same.

### In the corpora

- [Overtime is working extra hours beyond the normal ones; sometimes it is paid at a higher rate, sometimes not paid at all.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/2-shifts-nights-and-other-ways-of-working/8/)
- [Some cash machines charge a fee for taking out money, while most bank ones are free.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/7-cards-banks-and-apps/18/)
- [A chore chart lists the household jobs and who does each one, so work is shared fairly and nobody has to nag.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/12-cars-chores-and-the-shopping-list/10/)
- [An older person who finds a new partner after losing a husband or wife has not forgotten the one who died.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/17-gran-cousins-and-the-whole-family/18/)
- [Nicotine is very addictive, so smokers feel uncomfortable until they have the next one, and most started as teenagers.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/28-smoking-vaping-and-betting/6/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «one» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/O/one/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.