Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

personal knowledge or information about someone or something

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

how long something has existed

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

(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 are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

in addition

From this reading Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery.

changed in form or character without becoming something else

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

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

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

a privileged class holding hereditary titles

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

belonging to or characteristic of the nobility or aristocracy

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

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

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

in bodily form

From this reading Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery.

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery.

a railcar where passengers ride

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

past form of “conjure” — summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading There are of course exceptions to the rule.

leaping insect; male makes chirping noises by rubbing the forewings together

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock

From this reading Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery.

soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

one or the other of two

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

being one more than ten

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

in or to another place

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

having knowledge and spiritual insight

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

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

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

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

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

plural of “exception” — a deliberate act of omission

From this reading There are of course exceptions to the rule.

elaborate or showy attire and accessories

From this reading Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

a man of refinement

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

an old form of “has”

From this reading Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

in order that something should not happen

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

the force of workers available

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

not any; not one

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

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

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

by chance

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

third-person singular of “possess” — have as an attribute, knowledge, or skill

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

inflected form of “quiz” — examine someone's knowledge of something

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)

From this reading Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery.

a person who represents others

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

fully developed or matured and ready to be eaten or used

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior

From this reading There are of course exceptions to the rule.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

in or at or to some place

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

the vital principle or animating force within living things

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

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

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.

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

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

not fair; marked by injustice or partiality or deception

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

up to a particular time

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

spatially or metaphorically from a lower to a higher position

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

having passed out of existence

From this reading Dirt also hath vanished bodily, to be replaced by finery.

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

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

at the time that

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

which person or people

From this reading An aristocratic spirit, an aristocracy not of rank but of money, possesses the place, and an enlightened young gentleman of my acquaintance, who when somewhere about the ripe age of eleven, conjured his mother "_not_ to come to see him until she had got her new carriage, lest he should be quizzed by the rest of the men," was perhaps no unfair representative of the mass of his schoolfellows.

in the company of; together with

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

a late time of life

From this reading There are no such things as boys to be met with now, either at Eton or elsewhere; they are all men from ten years old upwards.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading Times are altered since Gray spoke of the young Etonians as a set of dirty boys playing at cricket.