used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
in the past
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
Alec
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
(psychiatry) a relatively permanent state of worry and nervousness occurring in a variety of mental disorders, usually accompanied by compulsive behavior or attacks of panic
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
the body of faculty and students of a college
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
dearly loved
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
disappointingly unsuccessful
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
plural of “dollar” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 cents
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
dreadfullyadverbUS /ˈdredfəli/
of a dreadful kind
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
a social unit living together
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
Father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
set up or found
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
activities that are enjoyable or amusing
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
the act of departing
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
grandsonnounUS /ˈɡrændsʌn/
a male grandchild
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
increasenounUS /ˌɪnˈkriːs/
a quantity that is added
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
engage in
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
joined in matrimony
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
not one, and not any
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
and nothing more
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
pokeverbUS /poʊk/
poke or thrust abruptly
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
realising
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
Identical; not different.
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
only a very short time before
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
the place where something begins, where it springs into being
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
not in physical motion
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
male cat
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
having come into contact
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
trousersnounUS /ˈtraʊzərz/
(usually in the plural) a garment extending from the waist to the knee or ankle, covering each leg separately
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
twinsnounUS /twɪnz/
(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
VarsnounUS /vɑːrz/
plural of “var” — a unit of electrical power in an AC circuit equal to the power dissipated when 1 volt produces a current of 1 ampere
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It used to be a source of great anxiety to Father that none of his children was married.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He had a notion that the only way to make a family name a strong one was by increase.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We treated it a good deal as a joke then and used to poke a lot of fun at the boys about it.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
at the time that
From this reading When Tom and Alec were scarcely out of college and the twins were still in short trousers, Father announced that he was going to present to the first grandson bearing the name of Vars, a check for three thousand dollars.
a Caucasian
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading That was a long time ago--before Father died--and when we found the same offer written out in plain black and white in Father's will we were a little surprised and a little touched too, realising how dreadfully in earnest the poor dear man must have been about it, and how disappointed.
