Chapter II · Chapter 2

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

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

in the past

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

(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 Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

Having no one else present.

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

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

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

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

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

any thing at all

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

from appearances alone

From this reading Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

for the reason that

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

next to; at the side of

From this reading Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

in addition to; as well as

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

make by combining materials and parts

From this reading Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

having a hardened crust as a covering

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

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

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

apart from; not including

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

a boy or man

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

brusque and surly and forbidding

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

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

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

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

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

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

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Apparently what he wanted beside was to build a house for himself: at all events, that is what he did.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

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

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

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 He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

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 He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

for more time

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

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

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

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

From this reading THE MOUSE-TRAP.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

not any; not one

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

no person; not anyone

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

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

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

filled with satisfaction

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

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

From this reading THE MOUSE-TRAP.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

in or at that place or location

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

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

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

precisely as stated

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

(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 The good people of the village, finding him such a very gruff and crusty old fellow, thought it best to let him alone; and this being exactly what old Jonas Junk wanted, he was well satisfied.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

in or at the place that

From this reading He was a very queer old man, and nobody knew where he came from, or anything about him, except what he told them himself; and that was very little besides the fact that his name was Jonas Junk, that he had come to Nomatterwhat because he chose to come, and that he would stay exactly as long as it pleased him and no longer.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

a late time of life

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading MANY years ago, _very_ many years as you would think, though the time seems short enough for me, there came to the little village (as it then was), of Nomatterwhat, an old man.