used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
(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 "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
past form of “command” — be in command of
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
constitutionnounUS /ˌkɑːnstəˈtuːʃən/
law determining the fundamental political principles of a government
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
decidedlyadverbUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdədli/
without question and beyond doubt
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
in a serious manner
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
Edmund
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
being one more than seven
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
discontinued temporarily
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
Letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
Majesty'snounUS /ˈmædʒəstiz/
possessive form of “majesty” — impressiveness in scale or proportion
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
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 You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
NavynounUS /ˈneɪvi/
an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
a condition requiring relief
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
obedientadjectiveUS /oʊˈbiːdiənt/
dutifully complying with the commands or instructions of those in authority
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
obedientlyadverbUS /oʊˈbiːdiəntli/
in an obedient manner
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
on one occasion
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
in the near future
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
sumsnounUS /sʌmz/
plural of “sum” — a quantity of money
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
express in words
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "I could do all that," Edmund said decidedly, and in the end, to the surprise of every one concerned, he did.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
precisely as stated
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
(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 You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
at the time that
From this reading When Mr. Wycherly had finished, the little boy was silent for a minute, then asked earnestly, "How soon can I go?"
whereupon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
produce a literary work
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
Wycherly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Tell me all about it," the little boy commanded, whereupon Mr. Wycherly obediently and at considerable length explained the constitution of His Majesty’s Navy, and Edmund never once interrupted.
a late time of life
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You will need to read well, and write well, and be able to do many kinds of sums, and be very obedient."
you're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Let me see, you’re nearly eight now; it might be managed in about three years.
