Chapter XXVII · Chapter 27

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

(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 There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

a quantity of money

From this reading AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF INTRODUCTION.

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

From this reading AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF INTRODUCTION.

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

the season when the leaves fall from the trees

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

not open or affording passage or access

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

dearly loved

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

to certain extent or degree

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

a church congregation guided by a pastor

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

the side that is forward or prominent

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

only a very short time before

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

the act of beginning something new

From this reading AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF INTRODUCTION.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

a room where books are kept

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

engage in

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading "They're worth it, Mary.

a married woman (usually middle-aged with children) who is staid and dignified

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

being roughly between 45 and 65 years old

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF INTRODUCTION.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

To move from a closed position.

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

reception room in an inn or club where visitors can be received

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

-ing form of “remark” — make mention of

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

depleted of energy, force, or strength

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

in or at that place or location

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

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

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

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

From this reading "They're worth it, Mary.

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

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"

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

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF INTRODUCTION.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading There's enough in every one of them to make a man of, and they've all started fairly well."

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

From this reading The front door of Dr. Brandegee's library had hardly closed behind that earliest flock of his autumn birds, before the door by which he had entered swung open, and a fine-looking, middle-aged matron stood in it, remarking,-- "My dear, there are more than a dozen waiting in the parlor.

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading "They're worth it, Mary.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Have you not spent a great deal of time on those four?"