used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
AntonynounUS /ˈæntəni/
Roman general under Julius Caesar in the Gallic wars; repudiated his wife for the Egyptian queen Cleopatra; they were defeated by Octavian at Actium (83-30 BC)
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
biddingnounUS /ˈbɪdɪŋ/
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
BlakenounUS /bleɪk/
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
a beloved person; used as terms of endearment
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
apart from; not including
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
gipsynoun
a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/
a farewell remark
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading SET HIM UP.'
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
HOnounUS /hoʊ/
a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds
From this reading 'HO, HO, HO!
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
an instinctive motive
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
includingverbUS /ˌɪnˈkluːdɪŋ/
-ing form of “include” — have as a part, be made up out of
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
having much knowledge or education
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
kitnounUS /kɪt/
a case for containing a set of articles
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
lassnounUS /læs/
a girl or young woman who is unmarried
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
engage in
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
used to form the superlative
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
no person; not anyone
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
and nothing more
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
outfitnounUS /ˈaʊtfɪt/
any cohesive unit such as a military company
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
the act of departing politely
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
sailingnounUS /ˈseɪlɪŋ/
the work of a sailor
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading SET HIM UP.'
transport commercially
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
given to sympathy or gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading SET HIM UP.'
precisely as stated
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Probably it had taken him only a few minutes to make up his mind, and only a few hours to get ready his kit or outfit, so much a creature of impulse was he.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
which person or people
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading It surprised nobody who knew him well to be informed that Frank Antony Blake had left England in a sailing ship without bidding good-bye to any one except his very nearest and dearest, including the little gipsy lass, with whom his parting had been most sad and tender.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading He needed an entire change, he told himself, and he would remain away for a whole year.
