used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
AustralianounUS /ɔːˈstreɪljə/
a nation occupying the whole of the Australian continent; Aboriginal tribes are thought to have migrated from southeastern Asia 20,000 years ago; first Europeans were British convicts sent there as a penal colony
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
give a benediction to
From this reading God bless thee, my son.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
the act of breaking something
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
bunchnounUS /bʌntʃ/
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
past form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
FIRSTadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
girlishadjectiveUS /ˈɡɜːrlɪʃ/
befitting or characteristic of a young girl
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading God bless thee, my son.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
the act of caressing with the lips (or an instance thereof)
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
past form of “kiss” — touch with the lips or press the lips (against someone's mouth or other body part) as an expression of love, greeting, etc.
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
a boy or man
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
the act of departing
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
midshipmennounUS /ˈmɪdˈʃɪpmen/
plural of “midshipman” — a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
plural of “prayer” — the act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving)
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
To recall to mind.
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
cause to go somewhere
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
transport commercially
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
sneerverbUS /snɪr/
express through a scornful smile
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
a male human offspring
From this reading God bless thee, my son.
in the near future
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
stoopedadjectiveUS /stuːpt/
having the back and shoulders rounded; not erect
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading God bless thee, my son.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
Tommy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
unmanlyadjective
not possessing qualities befitting a man
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
viewingnounUS /ˈvjuːɪŋ/
the display of a motion picture
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
which person or people
From this reading I did not like to be kissed by my father in the presence of the little bunch of midshipmen who were viewing us from near the wheel.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading I feared they would regard it as an unmanly act, and sneer at me afterwards as being girlish.
produce a literary work
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading _HIS FIRST DAY ON BOARD SHIP._ “Well, Tommy,” said my father, “as the ship will soon be leaving I had better be off, as I do not want to go to Australia with you.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Be a good lad; do not forget your prayers; remember to write to us as often as you can send a letter”—and here his voice breaking, he ceased and stooped to kiss me; but I drew away.
