Chapter I

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

From this reading ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

(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 His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

weapons considered collectively

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a gathering of spectators or listeners at a (usually public) performance

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

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

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

a tube through which a bullet travels when a gun is fired

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

brought into existence

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services

From this reading ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a young person of either sex

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

a small replica of a person; used as a toy

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

cause to move by pulling

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

causing fear or dread or terror

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

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

From this reading ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

make void or empty of contents

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

provided or supplied or equipped with (especially as by inheritance or nature)

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

fine powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a cereal grain

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

the aggregate of past events

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

past form of “illustrate” — clarify by giving an example of

From this reading Illustrated.

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second

From this reading ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a room equipped for preparing meals

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

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

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

in a submissive or spiritless manner

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

the force of workers available

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

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 ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

plural of “poem” — a composition written in metrical feet forming rhythmical lines

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

plural of “right” — an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

to move about or proceed hurriedly

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

a male human offspring

From this reading ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

having a supporting base

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

(of a nose) blocked

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

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

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

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

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

the upper part of anything

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a base containing nitrogen that is found in RNA (but not in DNA) and derived from pyrimidine; pairs with adenine

From this reading ELECTROTYPED BY C. J. PETERS & SON, BOSTON, U. S. A.

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a formal word for “on”

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

having been turned so that the bottom is no longer the bottom

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

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

From this reading BY MARGARET VANDEGRIFT AUTHOR OF “THE DEAD DOLL AND OTHER POEMS” ETC.

the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

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

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

used to ask for information about something

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

which person or people

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?

in the company of; together with

From this reading His name was Johnny Leslie, and he was standing on an empty flour barrel; in his hand was his United States History, and he was shouting at the top of his little voice,— “All men are born free and equal, and endowed with certain in-in-alienable rights, such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

a unit of language that native speakers can identify

From this reading He stopped a minute to draw a long breath, and his audience, who was sitting in an easy position upon the upturned kitchen coal scuttle, with her oldest child in her arms, took the opportunity to ask meekly,— “What does that dreadful long word mean, Johnny?