Chapter I

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

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading Set up and electrotyped.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

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

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

brought into existence

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

a youthful male person

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

the yield from plants in a single growing season

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

formed or developed from something else; not original

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading He was born with some difficulty.

at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading Set up and electrotyped.

a division of the United Kingdom

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

at any time

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

at any future time; in the future

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

the act of departing

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

a nonmetallic univalent element that is normally a colorless and odorless highly flammable diatomic gas; the simplest and lightest and most abundant element in the universe

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

a form of address for a man

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

make a sweeping movement

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

plural of “peter” — disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

prepared and printed for distribution and sale

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

have sovereign power

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

plural of “see” — the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Set up and electrotyped.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading He was born with some difficulty.

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

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

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Set up and electrotyped.

queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India from 1837 to 1901; the last Hanoverian ruler of England (1819-1901)

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

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

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

prolific English writer best known for his science-fiction novels; he also wrote on contemporary social problems and wrote popular accounts of history and science (1866-1946)

From this reading H. G. WELLS Author of “Mr. Britling Sees It Through,” etc.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.

which person or people

From this reading Peter was a novel name then; he was before the great crop of Peters who derived their name from Peter Pan.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was born with some difficulty.

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading Published, September, 1918 Early one summer morning in England, in the year 1893 in the reign—which seemed in those days to have been going on for ever and to be likely to go on for evermore—of Queen Victoria, there was born a little boy named Peter.