used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
anew
From this reading He perused the letter again.
in the past
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
plural of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
BurtnounUS /bɜːrt/
English psychologist whose studies of twins were later said to have used fabricated data (1883-1971)
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
an occurrence of something
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
period extending from Dec. 24 to Jan. 6
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs with yttrium
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
harmonynounUS /ˈhɑːrməni/
compatibility in opinion and action
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
JudgingnounUS /ˈdʒʌdʒɪŋ/
the cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
Kingsley
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
a metric unit of capacity, formerly defined as the volume of one kilogram of pure water under standard conditions; now equal to 1,000 cubic centimeters (or approximately 1.75 pints)
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
lackedverbUS /lækt/
past form of “lack” — be without
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
lackingadjectiveUS /ˈlækɪŋ/
inadequate in amount or degree
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
set down according to a plan
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
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 Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
mildadjectiveUS /maɪld/
moderate in type or degree or effect or force; far from extreme
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
a form of address for a man
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
perusedverbUS /pərˈuːzd/
past form of “peruse” — examine or consider with attention and in detail
From this reading He perused the letter again.
PublishersnounUS /ˈpʌblɪʃərz/
plural of “publisher” — a firm in the publishing business
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
SamuelnounUS /ˈsæmjuːl/
(Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
Samuel'snounUS /ˈsæmjuːlz/
possessive form of “samuel” — (Old Testament) Hebrew prophet and judge who anointed Saul as king
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
StephennounUS /ˈstiːvən/
English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
suggestverbUS /səˈdʒest/
make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
Syl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
Sylvester
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
tenornounUS /ˈtenər/
the adult male singing voice above baritone
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He perused the letter again.
they've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
a special situation
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
thoughtfullyadverbUS /ˈθɔːtfəli/
in a thoughtful manner
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading And that is too long—altogether too long—for brothers to remain in relations—er—lacking harmony."
precisely as stated
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
voluntarilyadverbUS /ˌvɑːlənˈterəli/
out of your own free will
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As he had observed, its general tenor certainly did suggest that the relations between Samuel and Sylvester lacked harmony, and that that was a very mild putting of the case.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
a late time of life
From this reading Judging by this letter—and one I had not long ago from Syl—it must be some three or four years since they’ve met—voluntarily.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading _A. L. Burt Company_ _Publishers New York_ *A Christmas Story* "It seems to me," said Mr. Stephen Kingsley thoughtfully to himself, as he laid down his younger brother Samuel’s letter, "that it would be a very good thing to get Sam and Sylvester together.
