used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
a-gley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
accuratelyadverbUS /ˈækjərətli/
with few mistakes
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
aftadverbUS /æft/
at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
ambitionsnounUS /æmˈbɪʃənz/
plural of “ambition” — a cherished desire
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
the body of faculty and students of a college
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
criticaladjectiveUS /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
(often used in combination) having a specified direction
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
editornounUS /ˈedətər/
a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
at any time
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
fastidiousnessnoun
the trait of being meticulous about matters of taste or style
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
GangnounUS /ɡæŋ/
an association of criminals
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
a young female
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
an opinion formed by judging something
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
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 A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
set down according to a plan
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
the force of workers available
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
micenounUS /maɪs/
plural of “mouse” — any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
on one occasion
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
ParkernounUS /ˈpɑːrkər/
United States saxophonist and leader of the bop style of jazz (1920-1955)
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
a full supply
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
prosperitynounUS /prɑːˈsperəti/
an economic state of growth with rising profits and full employment
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
schemesnounUS /skiːmz/
plural of “scheme” — an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
sonnetnounUS /ˈsɑːnɪt/
a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
sonnetsnounUS /ˈsɑːnɪts/
plural of “sonnet” — a verse form consisting of 14 lines with a fixed rhyme scheme
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
express in speech
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
sportingadjectiveUS /ˈspɔːrtɪŋ/
exhibiting or calling for sportsmanship or fair play
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
Susan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
Susie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
Susie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As a college girl and afterward, Susie had, to be sure, known many men; but they had all passed by on the other side.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This young man afterward became the sporting editor of a great newspaper, and but for Susie’s fastidiousness in the matter of sonnets she might have shared his prosperity and fame.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To speak more accurately, plenty of things had happened, but Man had never happened.
twenty-sixadjective
being six more than twenty
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “_The best laid schemes o’ mice and men Gang aft a-gley_” Susan Parker was twenty-six and nothing had ever happened.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading A young man of literary ambitions had once directed a sonnet at Susie, but she was not without critical judgment and she knew it for a weak effort.
