Chapter XVIII

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

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

later than; following

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

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

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

from appearances alone

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

Directly under; in or to a lower position than.

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

a youthful male person

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

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

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

absence of light or illumination

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

dearly loved

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

extending or moving from a higher to a lower place

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

let fall to the ground

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

plural of “drop” — a shape that is spherical and small

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

a British peer of the highest rank

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

hinge joint between the forearm and upper arm and the corresponding joint in the forelimb of a quadruped

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

divisible by two

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

opinion or judgment

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

favorite

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

an area in hostile territory that has been captured and is held awaiting further troops and supplies

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

produced by or subjected to forcing

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

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

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

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

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

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

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

having a heading or course in a certain direction

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

give help or assistance; be of service

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

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

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

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

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

past form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

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 It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

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

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

in the near future

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

relieve from

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

inflected form of “rub” — move over something with pressure

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

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

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

a variable color that is vivid red but sometimes with an orange tinge

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

an educational institution

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

express in words

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

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

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

in or at that place or location

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

up to a particular time

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

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

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

in the direction of

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

a fact that has been verified

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

always the same; showing a single form or character in all occurrences

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

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

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading And then after a minute the hand slipped downward, and rubbed something out of his eyes--something hard to get rid of, apparently--for presently one bright drop after another forced its way through his fingers and fell on to the desk beneath.

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

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

at the time that

From this reading When he had got thus far, the boy paused, leaned his elbow upon the desk, and rested his head upon his hand.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

produce a literary work

From this reading It was towards the close of the afternoon of a warm June day that a short, sturdy, fair-haired boy, wearing a dark blue uniform with a touch of scarlet here and there about it, sat down at a long desk to write a letter.

but in spite of that

From this reading And yet, truth to tell, even those bright drops did not help to get rid of the something, the something which had a firm foothold in the heart below, making it swell till it was well-nigh to bursting.

possessive form of “york” — the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading It was headed, "Duke of York’s School, Chelsea, S.W.," and began, "My dear Mother."