used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
attendingnounUS /əˈtendɪŋ/
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Settling down, Lefty became silent, attending strictly to business.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Settling down, Lefty became silent, attending strictly to business.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
burgnounUS /bɜːrɡ/
colloquial American term for a town
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Settling down, Lefty became silent, attending strictly to business.
calculatedadjectiveUS /ˈkælkjəleɪtɪd/
carefully thought out in advance
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
coolnessnounUS /ˈkuːlnəs/
calm and unruffled self-assurance
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
disturbverbUS /dɪˈstɜːrb/
move deeply
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Settling down, Lefty became silent, attending strictly to business.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
effectiveadjectiveUS /ɪˈfektɪv/
producing or capable of producing an intended result or having a striking effect
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
Elgin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
exertingverbUS /ɪɡˈzɜːrtɪŋ/
-ing form of “exert” — put to use
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
fansnounUS /fænz/
plural of “fan” — a device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or surfaces
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
howlin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
KennedynounUS /ˈkenədi/
35th President of the United States; established the Peace Corps; assassinated in Dallas (1917-1963)
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
LeaguenounUS /liːɡ/
an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
LeftynounUS /ˈlefti/
a person who uses the left hand with greater skill than the right
From this reading Settling down, Lefty became silent, attending strictly to business.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
LockenounUS /lɑːk/
English empiricist philosopher who believed that all knowledge is derived from sensory experience (1632-1704)
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
looselyadverbUS /ˈluːsli/
in a relaxed manner; not rigid
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
a particular point in time
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
murmurnounUS /ˈmɜːrmər/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
not any; not one
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
one-horseadjective
small and remote and insignificant
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
pitchersnounUS /ˈpɪtʃərz/
plural of “pitcher” — (baseball) the person who does the pitching
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
pitchin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
rattleverbUS /ˈrætəl/
make short successive sounds
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
except for; apart from
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
SettlingnounUS /ˈsetəlɪŋ/
a gradual sinking to a lower level
From this reading Settling down, Lefty became silent, attending strictly to business.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Settling down, Lefty became silent, attending strictly to business.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
STEALverbUS /stiːl/
take without the owner's consent
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
strictlyadverbUS /ˈstrɪktli/
restricted to something
From this reading Settling down, Lefty became silent, attending strictly to business.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
threateningadjectiveUS /ˈθretənɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
uproarnounUS /ˈʌprɔːr/
a state of commotion and noise and confusion
From this reading The uproar of the crowd, calculated to disturb his coolness, seemed no more effective than the murmur of a summer breeze.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading At no time, save in the threatening moments, did he seem exerting himself to his utmost.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading “If they think they can rattle him in this little one-horse burg,” Kennedy whispered to himself, “they should have seen him pitchin’ before thirty thousand howlin’ fans in the Big League.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
of very poor quality or condition
From this reading THE STEAL HOME The game, which had started out so loosely, and threatened to become wretched at any moment, was now turned into a pitchers’ battle, with Locke and Elgin working against each other.
