used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A CONTROVERSY ‘Steve, you are talking nonsense.’
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
all-absorbing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A CONTROVERSY ‘Steve, you are talking nonsense.’
arguingnounUS /ˈɑːrɡjuːɪŋ/
a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
BoersnounUS /bɔːrz/
plural of “boer” — a white native of Cape Province who is a descendant of Dutch settlers and who speaks Afrikaans
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
bordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/
a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
cannonnounUS /ˈkænən/
a large artillery gun that is usually on wheels
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
CONTROVERSYnounUS /ˈkɑːntrəvɜːrsi/
a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement
From this reading A CONTROVERSY ‘Steve, you are talking nonsense.’
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
at any time
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading A CONTROVERSY ‘Steve, you are talking nonsense.’
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
express in words
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
having a supporting base
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
Steve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A CONTROVERSY ‘Steve, you are talking nonsense.’
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading A CONTROVERSY ‘Steve, you are talking nonsense.’
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
in or at that place or location
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
topicnounUS /ˈtɑːpɪk/
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
TransvaalnounUS /trænzˈvɑːl/
a province of northeastern South Africa originally inhabited by Africans who spoke Bantu; colonized by the Boers
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
warmlyadverbUS /ˈwɔːrmli/
in a hearty manner
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A group of boys were standing talking, warmly arguing about the all-absorbing topic of the day--the Transvaal war.
at the time that
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading ‘I should like to know why I talk nonsense more than you?’
be the winner in a contest or competition; be victorious
From this reading ‘Why, you say that the Transvaal Boers can fight against England and win.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I should like to know how a few Boers can fight against England, when we have already more soldiers on the Transvaal border than there are Boers to fight, and there are as many more coming out from England, with ever so many cannon.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading A CONTROVERSY ‘Steve, you are talking nonsense.’
