used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
at or in the front
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
(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 Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
Ban-Ban
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
businesslikeadjectiveUS /ˈbɪznɪslaɪk/
exhibiting methodical and systematic characteristics that would be useful in business
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
catsnounUS /kæts/
plural of “cat” — feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
set up or found
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
gaitnounUS /ɡeɪt/
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
hasteningverbUS /ˈheɪsənɪŋ/
-ing form of “hasten” — act or move at high speed
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
impatiencenounUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪʃəns/
a lack of patience; irritation with anything that causes delay
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
Kiku
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
Kiku-san
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
onwardadverbUS /ˈɔːnwərd/
forward in time or order or degree
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
pettedverbUS /ˈpetɪd/
inflected form of “pet” — stroke or caress gently
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
Purrington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
shortenedadjectiveUS /ˈʃɔːrtənd/
cut short
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
move hurridly
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
trottedverbUS /ˈtrɑːtɪd/
inflected form of “trot” — run at a moderately swift pace
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For these two petted cats found themselves thinking of their old home as “home,” and not Purrington.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
precisely as stated
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading As they put behind them more and more length of road, and the way ahead shortened, their speed increased, driven onward by their impatience to get home.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Nor was this strange, since they had been so short a time in Purrington, and had spent all the rest of their lives being made much of by the children to whom they were hastening.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At least Kiku swung; he had a very swinging gait, but Ban-Ban trotted along with his usual businesslike air.
wood-path
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ban-Ban and Kiku-san started out from Purrington at a good pace, swinging along through the wood-path and out into the open road.
