Definition:
A noun that can be preceded by the definite article and that represents one or all of the members of a class. Contrast with proper noun.
Examples:
- "Often it does seem a pity that Noah and his party did not miss the boat."
(Mark Twain) - "Canada is a country whose main exports are hockey players and cold fronts. Our main imports are baseball players and acid rain."
(Pierre Trudeau) - "I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics exam; I looked into the soul of the boy sitting next to me."
(Woody Allen) - "The reason grandparents and grandchildren get along so well is that they have a common enemy."
(Sam Levenson)
