Challenge

An exercise in semantics:
Define "IS" without using synonyms or any conjugation of the verb "to be".

1. .is is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Iceland. .is registration is open to foreigners without restriction. The country code is derived from the first two letters of '''', the Icelandic word for Iceland.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.is

2. I"s|アイズ|Aizu is a Japanese teenage romance manga by Masakazu Katsura. Originally serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan from 1997 to 1999, the series was collected into 15 bound volumes, the first of which was released in the United States by Viz Media in March 2005.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I?s

3. IS: Otoko demo Onna demo nai Sei|IS 男でも女でもない性, is an ongoing drama manga series by Chiyo Rokuhana, first published in Japan in 2003. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IS_(manga)

4. Tom Ugly (formerly known as [is]) is an alternative Electronic-Indie rock band founded in 2008 in Sydney, Australia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Is_(band)

5. International Sign (sign language)
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/IS

6. Information Services, a portion of the NSF Cooperative Agreement awarded to General Atomics in 1993. IS is one of three services comprising the InterNIC.
www.domainhandbook.com/gloss.html

7. information systems
www.epa.gov/records1/gloss/gloss00.htm

8. It is a system that learns during its existence. (In other words, it learns, for each situation, which response permits it to reach its objectives.) It continually acts, mentally and externally, and by acting reaches its objectives more often than pure chance would indicate. ...
http://www.intelligent-systems.com.a...t/glossary.htm

9. A designation of the American National Standards Institute--usually followed by a number?that refers to an accepted industry protocol; eg, IS-95, IS-136, IS-54.
www.accesswireless.org/general/glossary.cfm

10. The minimum switching current is the minimum amount of current, normally expressed in amperes (A), that, when conducted by a standard PTC thermistor, is required to cause it to switch to its high resistance state.
www.rtie.com/ntc/glossary.htm

11. IT Information Services - the section within Transpower responsible for quality assurance, technical editing and publishing Transpower controlled documents.
https://transpower.co.nz/n1011,158,letter=i.html

12. Further analysis of secured lending to UK individuals
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/stati...s/excelint.htm

13. 3x + 7y = 0 an expression?
http://www.schoolforchampions.com/al...erminology.htm

14. Isotropic Steel: strip steel with both chemistry and manufacturing processes specifically designed to give the same mechanical properties in any direction along the length or across the width of the strip.
http://www.corusautomotive.com/en/re...teel/glossary/

Please define overkill for us next:oops:

Overkill: an excess of what is required or suitable, as because of zeal or misjudgment.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rasterbee

1. .is is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Iceland. .is registration is open to foreigners without restriction. The country code is derived from the first two letters of '''', the Icelandic word for Iceland.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.is
Uses the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be.

2. I"s|アイズ|Aizu is a Japanese teenage romance manga by Masakazu Katsura. Originally serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan from 1997 to 1999, the series was collected into 15 bound volumes, the first of which was released in the United States by Viz Media in March 2005.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I?s
Uses the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be.

3. IS: Otoko demo Onna demo nai Sei|IS 男でも女でもない性, is an ongoing drama manga series by Chiyo Rokuhana, first published in Japan in 2003. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IS_(manga)
Uses the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be.

4. Tom Ugly (formerly known as [is]) is an alternative Electronic-Indie rock band founded in 2008 in Sydney, Australia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Is_(band)
Uses the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be.

5. International Sign (sign language)
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/IS
An abbreviation, not a definition.

6. Information Services, a portion of the NSF Cooperative Agreement awarded to General Atomics in 1993. IS is one of three services comprising the InterNIC.
www.domainhandbook.com/gloss.html
The coma represents the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be.

7. information systems
www.epa.gov/records1/gloss/gloss00.htm
Abbreviation

8. It is a system that learns during its existence. (In other words, it learns, for each situation, which response permits it to reach its objectives.) It continually acts, mentally and externally, and by acting reaches its objectives more often than pure chance would indicate. ...
http://www.intelligent-systems.com.a...t/glossary.htm
Uses the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be. And it doesn't make sense, seeing as it doesn't actually say what word it's defining.

9. A designation of the American National Standards Institute--usually followed by a number?that refers to an accepted industry protocol; eg, IS-95, IS-136, IS-54.
www.accesswireless.org/general/glossary.cfm
The -- represents the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be.

10. The minimum switching current is the minimum amount of current, normally expressed in amperes (A), that, when conducted by a standard PTC thermistor, is required to cause it to switch to its high resistance state.
www.rtie.com/ntc/glossary.htm
Uses the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be.

11. IT Information Services - the section within Transpower responsible for quality assurance, technical editing and publishing Transpower controlled documents.
https://transpower.co.nz/n1011,158,letter=i.html
The - represents the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be.

12. Further analysis of secured lending to UK individuals
http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/stati...s/excelint.htm
Doesn't define the word is.

13. 3x + 7y = 0 an expression?
http://www.schoolforchampions.com/al...erminology.htm
Doesn't define the word is.

14. Isotropic Steel: strip steel with both chemistry and manufacturing processes specifically designed to give the same mechanical properties in any direction along the length or across the width of the strip.
http://www.corusautomotive.com/en/re...teel/glossary/
The - represents the word is, which is a conjunction of the verb to be. And it doesn't define the word is.

---

Right, firstly, I'll just point out that it can't really be done, seeing as by defining the word is, you are saying, "The word is is..." in which case the second is is invalid as it is a conjunction of the verb to be, to which the word is also belongs. So, with that said, I'm going to be a tiny insy winsy bit of a hypocrite by using something to represent the second is as shown in the above example.

Is - The he/she/it form of the verb that defines all things that exist, or that could, or will, or did happen.

Not a great definition but one that I did think of myself, which is something. It has gaps, but they can unfortunately not be filled without using the verb to be.

trololol

my post was obviously copy pasta from the first google result when searching for "definition of is"

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rasterbee

trololol

my post was obviously copy pasta from the first google result when searching for "definition of is"

---

I worked that out lol, I just wanted to defy every single one of your points.

A third person singular verb tense used to form definitional sentences.

What do I win?

I would say that doesn't define it, Bole. It merely generally describes it.

You don't think it defines it? The purpose of the verb to be is to make descriptions.