used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
any thing at all
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
the verbal act of requesting
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
ballsnounUS /bɔːlz/
plural of “ball” — round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
blousenounUS /blaʊs/
a top worn by women
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
boyishadjectiveUS /ˈbɔɪɪʃ/
befitting or characteristic of a young boy
From this reading He was of medium height, fresh and fair and boyish looking.
cheerfullyadverbUS /ˈtʃɪrfəli/
in a cheerful manner
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading He was of medium height, fresh and fair and boyish looking.
flannelnounUS /ˈflænəl/
a soft light woolen fabric; used for clothing
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading He was of medium height, fresh and fair and boyish looking.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was of medium height, fresh and fair and boyish looking.
the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top
From this reading He was of medium height, fresh and fair and boyish looking.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He was of medium height, fresh and fair and boyish looking.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
mediumnounUS /ˈmiːdiəm/
a means or instrumentality for storing or communicating information
From this reading He was of medium height, fresh and fair and boyish looking.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
palnounUS /pæl/
a close friend who accompanies his buddies in their activities
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
PanamanounUS /ˈpænəmɑː/
a republic on the Isthmus of Panama; achieved independence from Colombia in 1903
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
PansynounUS /ˈpænzi/
large-flowered garden plant derived chiefly from the wild pansy of Europe and having velvety petals of various colors
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
racketnounUS /ˈrækɪt/
a loud and disturbing noise
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
shadowedadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊd/
filled with shade
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
shirt-sleeves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
skirtnounUS /skɜːrt/
cloth covering that forms the part of a garment below the waist
From this reading At his side Pansy stood, in short skirt and blouse and Panama hat.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
tennisnounUS /ˈtenəs/
a game played with rackets by two or four players who hit a ball back and forth over a net that divides the court
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
tennis-courts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/
being four more than twenty
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Under the trees that shadowed one corner of the tennis-courts of the hotel a couple stood.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
(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 "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
a Caucasian
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
which person or people
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
but in spite of that
From this reading "Well, old pal, is there anything doing yet?" he was asking cheerfully.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading One was a young man of about twenty-four, in white flannel trousers and shirt-sleeves, who held a tennis racket in one hand and a couple of balls in the other.
