What's "stare at" mean? Is this a phrasal verb?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

No, to "stare at" something isn't a phrasal verb! It's a verb and a preposition indicating what the object of the stare is. To "stare at" means to look at someone or something for a prolonged amount of time or to not look away for a while, and the "at" indicates that one's staring is directed specifically at something. Ex: She was staring for like ten minutes. Ex: Don't stare at people. It's rude. Ex: It felt like people were staring at me because my hair was messy.

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Popular Q&As

01/10

1
What kind of "prison slang" are there? I haven't heard of any.
"Prison slang" refers to slang terms that are used by inmates within a prison. There are many different slang terms used in prisons but most of them are unknown to people who have never been in prison. Most "prison slang" terms are related to criminal activity, prison life, and other inmates, most of which are not used in daily conversation by regular English speakers. However, some of this slang has been made more popular from the media. For the example, the term "bagman" comes from prison slang and refers to someone who is in possession of drugs.

2
When can I use the word "heartbroken"?
The word "heartbroken" means to be very distressed or upset over something. You can use the word "heartbroken" when discussing a breakup, an unpleasant situation, or even death. Ex: She was heartbroken from her father's death. Ex: I never felt so heartbroken. I loved him. Ex: We were heartbroken when our dog died.

3
What does it mean by "a way around something"?
When we use the phrase "way around something" the context is that we are trying to successfully avoid something. In this case it means that they need to think of a way out of this situation, despite the fact they are having problems and setbacks. Ex: We need to find a way around this traffic jam if we're ever going to get to the restaurant. Ex: We'll find a way around your punishment, even if we have to sneak you out of the house. Ex: I don’t see any way around this issue.

4
I say people say "peel" when it comes to fruits. So, it can be used for human as well, and also used for both verb and noun?
Yes! It can be used when referring to human skin. For humans, it's only a verb. When skin "peels" or "peels" off. Whereas for fruit and vegetables, "peel" is both a noun and a verb since the outer skin is called a "peel," depending on the fruit. Ex: My skin is peeling after getting burnt. Ex: I need to throw away the orange peel.

5
Can I replace "piping" with "very"? What does "piping" mean?
Yes you can! It is perfectly acceptable to replace "piping" with "very." Piping hot means that a food or beverage is extremely or very hot in temperature. Ex: This food is piping hot. Ex: Be careful. The cider is piping hot.

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