Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

aimlessly drifting

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

(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 They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

a British or Canadian lawyer who speaks in the higher courts of law on behalf of either the defense or prosecution

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

move up and down repeatedly

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

a youthful male person

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

actively or fully engaged or occupied

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

a path over which electrical signals can pass

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

a space into which an area is subdivided

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

an argument opposed to a proposal

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

third-person singular of “decide” — reach, make, or come to a decision about something

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

of a dreadful kind

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

an agenda of things to do

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

a man of refinement

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

infested with grubs

From this reading The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

possessive form of “guard” — a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

in motion

From this reading The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

a port city in southeastern Virginia on the Elizabeth River opposite Norfolk; naval base; shipyards

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

no longer active in your work or profession

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

someone who leads a wandering unsettled life

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

an easy victory

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

Identical; not different.

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

plant growing in the sea, especially marine algae

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

use up a period of time in a specific way

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

the husband of your mother by a subsequent marriage

From this reading They let the boy in, and the Captain decides to pay the fare for the boy, who is a runaway from a dreadfully cruel stepfather.

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

carry out

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

in or at that place or location

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

create by training and teaching

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.

plural of “travel” — the act of going from one place to another

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

plural of “turn” — a circular segment of a curve

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

the activity of making visits

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

at the time that

From this reading The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading They all spend the holiday together, doing various things with boats, fish, seaweed, and visiting various interesting places, some of which they find to be a con!

which person or people

From this reading The dog Rover travels in the guard's van, and in the same compartment of the train there is an elderly gentleman who turns out to be a retired sea-captain.

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 The train is moving out of Guildford when a grubby boy's face appears at the window.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Bob Strong's Holiday; or, Adrift in the Channel by John Conroy Hutcheson ________________________________________________________________ Bob Strong and his sister Nellie are the children of a busy barrister, too busy to take them on holiday, and they are sent by train down to Portsmouth to spend the summer holidays with their aunt.