used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
(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 Last of all a policeman also came.
aloftadverbUS /əˈlɔːft/
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
in addition
From this reading Last of all a policeman also came.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
archnounUS /ɑːrtʃ/
a curved shape in the vertical plane that spans an opening
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/
past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Last of all a policeman also came.
collectedadjectiveUS /kəˈlektəd/
brought together in one place
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
approval
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
danglingnounUS /ˈdæŋɡəlɪŋ/
the act of suspending something (hanging it from above so it moves freely)
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
discoveringverbUS /dɪˈskʌvərɪŋ/
-ing form of “discover” — discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
elaboratedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæbəreɪtəd/
developed or executed with care and in minute detail
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
constituting the full quantity or extent; complete
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
being the sex (of plant or animal) that produces fertilizable gametes (ova) from which offspring develop
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
focusnounUS /ˈfoʊkəs/
the concentration of attention or energy on something
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Now, then,” he said, “what’s all this, then?”
of the present time and place
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
Jubbulporenoun
an industrial city of central India to the southeast of Delhi
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
an artificial source of visible illumination
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
immediately past
From this reading Last of all a policeman also came.
malenounUS /meɪl/
an animal that produces gametes (spermatozoa) that can fertilize female gametes
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
very unhappy; full of misery
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
not any; not one
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “Now, then,” he said, “what’s all this, then?”
nucleusnounUS /ˈnuːkliəs/
a part of the cell containing DNA and RNA and responsible for growth and reproduction
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
perchedverbUS /pɜːrtʃt/
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
having a point
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
policemannounUS /pəˈliːsmən/
a member of a police force
From this reading Last of all a policeman also came.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
responsenounUS /rɪˈspɑːns/
a result
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
a strong line
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
roughestadjectiveUS /ˈrʌfəst/
superlative of “rough” — having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Now, then,” he said, “what’s all this, then?”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
theoriesnounUS /ˈθɪriz/
plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
From this reading They pointed me out and called attention to the Jubbulpore rope dangling from the lamp, and elaborated their own theories.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “Now, then,” he said, “what’s all this, then?”
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The miserable boys took entire credit to themselves for discovering me perched aloft.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
what's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Now, then,” he said, “what’s all this, then?”
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There followed no immediate response, then three boys assembled under my arch, and they formed a nucleus or focus about which a small crowd of the roughest possible persons, male and female, collected.
