used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
adventnounUS /ˈædvent/
arrival that has been awaited (especially of something momentous)
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
aimlessadjectiveUS /ˈeɪmləs/
aimlessly drifting
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
amicablyadverbUS /ˈæmɪkəbli/
in an amicable manner
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
the two together, not just one
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
a motor vehicle with four wheels; usually propelled by an internal combustion engine
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
put or send forth
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
casualadjectiveUS /ˈkæʒəwəl/
marked by blithe unconcern
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
Charlie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
civilizationnounUS /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃən/
a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
continentnounUS /ˈkɑːntənənt/
one of the large landmasses of the earth
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
placed crosswise
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
dearly loved
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
DeclarationnounUS /ˌdeklərˈeɪʃən/
a statement that is emphatic and explicit (spoken or written)
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
the organ of sight
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
fellow-travellers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
set up or found
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!"
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
hittingnounUS /ˈhɪtɪŋ/
the act of contacting one thing with another
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
deeply or markedly affected or influenced
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
IndependencenounUS /ˌɪndɪˈpendəns/
freedom from control or influence of another or others
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
immediately past
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.
From this reading "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!"
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!"
LimitedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/
small in range or scope
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
a particular point in time
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
notedadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
picturedadjectiveUS /ˈpɪktʃərd/
seen in the mind as a mental image
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture
From this reading "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!"
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
the back of a military formation or procession
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
refrain from harming
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
produced or marked by conscious design or premeditation
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
tracklessadjective
having no tracks
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
create by training and teaching
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
uniformlyadverbUS /ˈjuːnəfɔːrmli/
in a uniform manner
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
uninterestingadjectiveUS /əˈnɪntrəstɪŋ/
arousing no interest or attention or curiosity or excitement
From this reading As I looked about the car, I studied the faces and persons of my fellow-travellers, and found them uniformly uninteresting.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
vaguelyadverbUS /ˈveɪɡli/
in a vague way
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
vividlyadverbUS /ˈvɪvədli/
in a vivid manner
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
migratory
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
at the time that
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
a Caucasian
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
wildernessnounUS /ˈwɪldərnəs/
(politics) a state of disfavor
From this reading I began wandering vaguely from that back to the time when this was a trackless wilderness; and I pictured to myself the advent of the white man, and so on in an aimless sort of a way, from the beginning of our country until I reached the Declaration of Independence, the terms of which have always remained vividly impressed upon my mind.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading My mind wandered from them out of the window, and I noted with a casual eye the advance civilization was making on both sides of the track.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Dear Charlie,--Having a spare moment as I crossed the continent last time, I sat down in the rear end of a Lake Shore Limited train, and began to cast about me with a view to hitting upon some way of passing the time amicably with myself.
