used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading But the jail was always singularly empty, and the movies had not been invented.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
any thing at all
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
at or in or to any place
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
artisticadjectiveUS /ɑːrˈtɪstɪk/
relating to or characteristic of art or artists
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
attainments
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
for the reason that
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
a youthful male person
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
ChaplinnounUS /ˈtʃæplən/
English comedian and film maker; portrayed a downtrodden little man in baggy pants and bowler hat (1889-1977)
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
Charlie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
ConcordnounUS /ˈkɑːnkɔːrd/
capital of the state of New Hampshire; located in south central New Hampshire on the Merrimack river
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
greatly pleasing or entertaining
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
distinctionnounUS /dɪˈstɪŋkʃən/
a discrimination between things as different and distinct on the basis of their characteristics or attributes
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading But the jail was always singularly empty, and the movies had not been invented.
fiftiesnounUS /ˈfɪftiz/
the decade from 1950 to 1959
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
your parents
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
Hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
halosnounUS /ˈheɪloʊz/
plural of “halo” — an indication of radiant light drawn around the head of a saint
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
heroicadjectiveUS /hɪˈroʊɪk/
very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
inventedverbUS /ˌɪnˈventəd/
past form of “invent” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading But the jail was always singularly empty, and the movies had not been invented.
investedverbUS /ˌɪnˈvestəd/
past form of “invest” — make an investment
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
jailnounUS /dʒeɪl/
a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)
From this reading But the jail was always singularly empty, and the movies had not been invented.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
Jesse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
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 This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
MassachusettsnounUS /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsəts/
a state in New England; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
and nothing more
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
moviesnounUS /ˈmuːviz/
plural of “movie” — a form of entertainment that enacts a story by sound and a sequence of images giving the illusion of continuous movement
From this reading But the jail was always singularly empty, and the movies had not been invented.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
and nothing more
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
playgroundnounUS /ˈpleɪɡraʊnd/
an area where many people go for recreation
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
on the contrary
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
a relationship between two lovers
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
singularlyadverbUS /ˈsɪŋɡjələrli/
in a singular manner or to a singular degree
From this reading But the jail was always singularly empty, and the movies had not been invented.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was not because I knew anything about their literary or artistic attainments, but rather because of the lack of heroic characters in the town.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
which person or people
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading _Concord, Massachusetts_ There may have been much distinction in living in Concord, Massachusetts, in the ’fifties, but to me, as a boy, the whole town was only a delightful playground and the people who lived there merely “home folks.”
in the company of; together with
From this reading To be sure, I invested some of the great ones with halos of romance.
wovenadjectiveUS /ˈwoʊvən/
made or constructed by interlacing threads or strips of material or other elements into a whole
From this reading Had there been a Jesse James or a Charlie Chaplin anywhere round, I should probably have woven my dreams of adventure about them.
