used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
(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 I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
inflected form of “buy” — obtain by purchase; acquire by means of a financial transaction
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
cavalrynounUS /ˈkævəlri/
troops trained to fight on horseback
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
rid of obstructions
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
enlistedverbUS /ˌenˈlɪstɪd/
past form of “enlist” — join the military
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
GallnounUS /ɡɔːl/
an open sore on the back of a horse caused by ill-fitting or badly adjusted saddle
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
showing or feeling mirth or pleasure or happiness
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
staying power
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
MonumentaladjectiveUS /ˌmɑːnjəˈmentəl/
relating or belonging to or serving as a monument
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
morocconounUS /mərˈɑːkoʊ/
a kingdom (constitutional monarchy) in northwestern Africa with a largely Muslim population; achieved independence from France in 1956
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
pass-port
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
patternnounUS /ˈpætərn/
a perceptual structure
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
recruitsnounUS /rəˈkruːts/
plural of “recruit” — a recently enlisted soldier
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
regimentverbUS /ˈredʒəmənt/
subject to rigid discipline, order, and systematization
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
work done by one person or group that benefits another
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
shinyadjectiveUS /ˈʃaɪni/
reflecting light
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
the display of a motion picture
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
a fabric made from the fine threads produced by certain insect larvae
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
stitchedadjectiveUS /stɪtʃt/
fastened with stitches
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A Short Story About a Pair of Boots, Showing the Monumental Gall of their Owner.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
a special situation
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading The first few months of my service, it seemed to me, the boots gave me more tone than any one thing.
the upper part of anything
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
veteransnounUS /ˈvetərənz/
plural of “veteran” — a serviceman who has seen considerable active service
From this reading I learned afterwards that all new recruits came to the regiment with such boots, and that they were the laughing stock of all the old veterans.
WellingtonnounUS /ˈwelɪŋtən/
British general and statesman; he defeated Napoleon at Waterloo; subsequently served as Prime Minister (1769-1852)
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
at the time that
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
in the company of; together with
From this reading When I enlisted in the cavalry I bought a pair of top boots, of the Wellington pattern, stitched with silk up and down the legs, which were of shiny morocco.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading They came clear above my knees, and from the pictures I had seen of cavalry soldiers, it struck me those boots would be a pass-port to any society in the army.
