used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
(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 "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
a quantity of money
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
rid of obstructions
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
CometnounUS /ˈkɑːmət/
(astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
ducksnounUS /dʌks/
plural of “duck” — small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
elegantadjectiveUS /ˈeləɡənt/
refined and tasteful in appearance or behavior or style
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
the act of departing
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
I'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
Joe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
MattnounUS /mæt/
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
McGlory
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
absolutely essential
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
nervenounUS /nɜːrv/
any bundle of nerve fibers running to various organs and tissues of the body
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
immediately following in time or order
From this reading WHAT NEXT?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
pard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
by chance
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
precisely, exactly
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
screwedverbUS /skruːd/
past form of “screw” — have sexual intercourse with
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
splashingnounUS /ˈsplæʃɪŋ/
the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
not in physical motion
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
carry out
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
to-morrow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
torrentnounUS /ˈtɔːrənt/
a heavy rain
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
(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 "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading WHAT NEXT?
in or at the place that
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading "The day may be all right, but whether I have the necessary amount of nerve is a question.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading "Well," laughed Matt, "perhaps it will be a clear, still day to-morrow, Joe."
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading "An elegant day--for ducks," said Joe McGlory, turning from the window against which a torrent of rain was splashing.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "I'd about got my nerve screwed up to the place where I was going to take a fly with you in the _Comet_, pard."
