used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
(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 HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
astrayadverbUS /əˈstreɪ/
away from the right path or direction
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
goddess of criminal rashness and its punishment
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
exhale hard
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
Carette
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
Hamon's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
HOW
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
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 You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
Martel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
information about recent and important events
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
Phil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
participate in games or sport
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
To recall to mind.
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
except for; apart from
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
a special situation
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading But that strange thing he had said ran in my head, and made such play there that I began to be troubled about it.
vapouring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading HOW WE HEARD STRANGE NEWS "Whatever is it all, Phil?" whispered Carette as we ate.
witsnounUS /wɪts/
the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception
From this reading "There has evidently been fighting outside, and he has got a knock on the head, and his wits are astray."
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading So that this strange word of George Hamon's was to me but empty vapouring brought on by that blow on the head.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You must remember I had never heard the name of Paul Martel, and of my father I knew nothing save that he was dead.
