used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am an old man, your Honor, but am yet spry.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “I am an old man, your Honor, but am yet spry.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
an onerous or difficult concern
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I am an old man, your Honor, but am yet spry.
Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading “Did it take you fifteen minutes to get up the stairs?”
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “How long since he gave this to you, Juan?”
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Did it take you fifteen minutes to get up the stairs?”
the head of a state government
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
heavedverbUS /hiːvd/
past form of “heave” — utter a sound, as with obvious effort
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How long since he gave this to you, Juan?”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Did it take you fifteen minutes to get up the stairs?”
Juan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “How long since he gave this to you, Juan?”
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 “How long since he gave this to you, Juan?”
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “I am an old man, your Honor, but am yet spry.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “I am an old man, your Honor, but am yet spry.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading “How long since he gave this to you, Juan?”
spryadjectiveUS /spraɪ/
moving quickly and lightly
From this reading “I am an old man, your Honor, but am yet spry.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading “Did it take you fifteen minutes to get up the stairs?”
happening unexpectedly
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
carry out
From this reading “Did it take you fifteen minutes to get up the stairs?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “How long since he gave this to you, Juan?”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “How long since he gave this to you, Juan?”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Did it take you fifteen minutes to get up the stairs?”
at the time that
From this reading The Governor heaved a sigh when he had finished, as if a burden had suddenly dropped from his shoulders.
but in spite of that
From this reading “I am an old man, your Honor, but am yet spry.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “How long since he gave this to you, Juan?”
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “About fifteen minutes before I entered this room, your Honor.”
