From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englisheveryev‧ery /ˈevri/ ●●● S1 W1 determiner [always followed by a singular countable noun] 1 EVERYONEused to refer to all the people or things in a particular group or all the parts of something We looked carefully at every car that drove past. Every child will receive a certificate at the end of the course. I enjoyed every minute of the film. I listened carefully to every word he said.every single (=used to emphasize that you mean 'all') He seems to know every single person in the school.every last drop/bit/scrap etc (=all of something, including even the smallest amount of it) They made us pick up every last scrap of paper.2 a) used to say how often something happensevery day/week/month etc (=at least once on each day, in each week etc) They see each other every day. Richard visits his mother every week.every few seconds/ten days etc Re-apply your sunscreen every two hours. Freda had to stop to rest every hundred metres or so (=each time she had gone 100 metres). b) used to say how much distance there is between the things in a lineevery few feet/ten yards etc There were traffic lights every ten yards.3 → every time4 → every now and then/again5 → every other6 → one in every three/two in every hundred etc7 ALL/EVERYTHINGthe strongest or greatest possible We wish you every happiness in your new home. There is every chance that he will recover. We have every reason to believe that the operation will be a success. We have every intention of winning this competition.8 → in every way9 → every bit as good/important etc10 → every Tom, Dick, and Harry11 → every which way → every inch at inch1(3), → usage note eachGRAMMAR: Patterns with every• You use every with a singular noun and a singular verb: Every person has the right to a fair trial.• Don’t use every with a plural noun. ✗Don’t say: every people• You usually use ‘his’, ‘her’, ‘himself’, or ‘herself’ after every: Every player did his best.Every woman can speak for herself.• However, you can use ‘their’, ‘they’, ‘them’ etc when you do not want to say whether the people are male or female: Every child has their own room.
Examples from the Corpus
every• She bought presents for every member of her family.• Every room in the house was painted white.• We go to the movies almost every Saturday night.• Fire regulations state that every single child should be out of the building in three minutes.• It rained every single day of our vacation.• The police questioned every single one of the passengers on the plane.• Every teacher knows the problems that difficult children can cause.• Every year on her birthday, Jackie throws a big party at the Vineyard House.• Thousands of tourists visit Spain every year.every single• And the fabulous Brecon Beacons National Park flows past every single carriage window.• Everyone in Calcutta knows that I am willing to take every single child.• In the eternal struggle against administrative incompetence, we need it every single day.• We want an accounting of every single dollar.• She was there every single night, a formidable figure in her long, black skirt, cardigan and black straw hat.• When he came to reclaim them, every single one had been lost or sold.• There aren't any cookies left -- Dan ate every single one.• Every single person in the office has a cold.• The whole of that crab, every single pincer and leg, however long, had been excised with the knife.every day/week/month etc• And new genetic tests for other dread diseases are appearing almost every day.• Not only is he facing an uncertain future, he is being forced to behave in an uncharacteristic fashion every day.• The heartache would come later: the years I missed her every day.• Eat a normal-sized portion of the food to be tested, every day for a week.• Enjoyment.co.uk and chocolates every month for a year from Thorntons.co.uk.• This was the road to Tay Ninh, so every day, it had to be swept before the convoys came through.• So I go there every day now, except Wednesday, my day off.• The faithful battle each other every day to have access to either of these objects.every chance• At White Hart Lane they scored from virtually every chance.• With a Neff Circotherm it has every chance.• And every chance a noble knight.• I never really knew him, but I used to see him every chance I got.• She ironed the uniform every chance, keeping it crisp and fresh.• But Platt, at 25, has every chance of eventually succeeding Pearce who is five years older.• They relished every chance to stymie him.• You have to observe Wilkinson every chance you get so you can build as much reality into your visualization as possible.Origin every Old English æfre ælc “ever each” 