Crossword clues for intensifier
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Intensifier \In*ten"si*fi`er\, n. One who or that which intensifies or strengthens; in photography, an agent used to intensify the lights or shadows of a picture.
Wiktionary
n. 1 That which intensifies. 2 (context linguistics English) A word or particle that heightens or lowers the intensity of meaning of an item. 3 (context photography English) An agent used to intensify the lights or shadows of a picture.
WordNet
n. a modifier that has little meaning except to intensify the meaning it modifies; "`up' in `finished up' is an intensifier"; "`honestly' in `I honestly don't know' is an intensifier" [syn: intensive]
Wikipedia
Intensifier is a linguistic term (but not a proper lexical category) for a modifier that makes no contribution to the propositional meaning of a clause but serves to enhance and give additional emotional context to the word it modifies. Intensifiers are grammatical expletives, specifically expletive attributives (or, equivalently, attributive expletives or attributive-only expletives; they also qualify as expressive attributives), because they function as semantically vacuous filler. Characteristically, English draws intensifiers from a class of words called degree modifiers, words that quantify the idea they modify. More specifically, they derive from a group of words called adverbs of degree, also known as degree adverbs. However, when used grammatically as intensifiers, these words cease to be degree adverbs, because they no longer quantify the idea they modify; instead, they emphasize it emotionally. By contrast, the words moderately, slightly, and barely are degree adverbs, but not intensifiers. The other hallmark of prototypical intensifiers is that they are adverbs which lack the primary characteristic of adverbs: the ability to modify verbs. Intensifiers modify exclusively adjectives and adverbs. However, this rule is insufficient to classify intensifiers, since there exist other words commonly classified as adverbs that never modify verbs but are not intensifiers, e.g. questionably.
For these reasons, Huddleston argues that intensifier not be recognized as a primary grammatical or lexical category. Intensifier is a category with grammatical properties, but insufficiently defined unless its functional significance is also described (what Huddleston calls a notional definition).
Technically, intensifiers roughly qualify a point on the affective semantic property, which is gradable. Syntactically, intensifiers pre-modify either adjectives or adverbs. Semantically, they increase the emotional content of an expression. The basic intensifier is very. A versatile word, English permits very to modify adjectives and adverb, but not verbs. Other intensifiers often express the same intention as very.
Usage examples of "intensifier".
Armorer had brought his miniature binoculars with him, foldouts with image intensifiers.
His full-coverage, dark-visored helmet incorporated a radio, a gyrostabilized laser designator, a thermal imaging camera and an image intensifier, with a visor screen for the projection of data from his video systems as well as computer graphics and aiming marks for his weapons.
The Armorer had brought his miniature binoculars with him, foldouts with image intensifiers.
I suppose it will take time for other humanoid robots and other nuclear intensifiers to be brought to this spot--perhaps considerable time--but we must give them as little as possible.
Amadiro plans to use one or more nuclear intensifiers to explode the microfusion reactors that supply Earth with energy.
They have, it is to be presumed, been setting up nuclear intensifiers in places where the soil is rich in uranium or thorium.
I suppose it will take time for other humanoid robots and other nuclear intensifiers to be brought to this spot-perhaps considerable time-but we must give them as little as possible.
Amadiro plans to use one or more nuclear, intensifiers to explode the microfusion reactors that supply Earth with energy.
The image intensifiers on board the pinnace had not been designed for this kind of work, and they did little better than human eyes.
On the seabed the trail went on and on, but no matter what he did with the image intensifiers he could detect no sign of figures, human or otherwise.
Pops turned on a very dim light and allowed his image intensifiers to illuminate the way.
The room was dimly lit and his image intensifiers adjusted automatically.
The intensifier explodes the ultrahot portion of the fuel that is actively undergoing fusion, plus some of the surrounding fuel that is heated to fusion in the initial explosion--before the material is blown explosively outward and the heat is dissipated to the point where other quantities of fuel present are not ignited.
The intensifier explodes the ultrahot portion of the fuel that is actively undergoing fusion, plus some of the surrounding fuel that is heated to fusion in the initial explosion -before the material is blown explosively outward and the heat is dissipated to the point where other quantities of fuel present are not ignited.