Chapter IV

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

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

in addition

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

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

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

any thing at all

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading I have never, I believe, seen a picture of a Chinese boy."

the two together, not just one

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

a youthful male person

From this reading I have never, I believe, seen a picture of a Chinese boy."

possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

of or relating to the sky

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

the time of person's life when they are a child

From this reading CHINESE CHILDHOOD.

any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system

From this reading CHINESE CHILDHOOD.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

manner of acting or controlling yourself

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

being one more than seven

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

having ones attention or mind or energy engaged

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I have never, I believe, seen a picture of a Chinese boy."

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

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

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

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

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

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

and nothing more

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

for more time

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading I have never, I believe, seen a picture of a Chinese boy."

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I have never, I believe, seen a picture of a Chinese boy."

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

in other respects or ways

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

plural of “parent” — a father or mother; one who begets or one who gives birth to or nurtures and raises a child; a relative who plays the role of guardian

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading I have never, I believe, seen a picture of a Chinese boy."

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

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I have never, I believe, seen a picture of a Chinese boy."

remove body hair with a razor

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

a female person who has the same parents as another person

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

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

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

for that reason; as a result

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

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

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

a bunch of hair or feathers or growing grass

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

up to a particular time

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

(geology) the mechanical process of wearing or grinding something down (as by particles washing over it)

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

plural of “wear” — impairment resulting from long use

From this reading Sometimes he wears the tuft longer; and I have also seen girls wearing it on one or both sides of their heads."

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.

a late time of life

From this reading "Some have pig-tails, but some parents allow just a tuft of hair to grow on a boy's head until he is eight or ten years old, and shave the rest.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I FORGOT to ask you, father," Leonard said, about a week later--for during that time he and his sister had been otherwise engaged, and had therefore not come to hear anything more about the Chinese and their strange doings--"I forgot to ask you if Celestial boys wore pig-tails too.