used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “What about a toy balloon for the baby?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk
From this reading “What about a toy balloon for the baby?”
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
balloonnounUS /bəˈluːn/
large tough nonrigid bag filled with gas or heated air
From this reading “What about a toy balloon for the baby?”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “What about a toy balloon for the baby?”
destroyed or killed
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “Good morning, my lord,” he said.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
kerbnounUS /kɜːrb/
an edge between a sidewalk and a roadway consisting of a line of curbstones (usually forming part of a gutter)
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading “Good morning, my lord,” he said.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Good morning, my lord,” he said.
oddlyadverbUS /ˈɑːdli/
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
pacesnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪz/
plural of “pace” — the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
a fractional monetary unit of Ireland and the United Kingdom; equal to one hundredth of a pound
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
recallverbUS /ˈriːkɔːl/
recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
RegentnounUS /ˈriːdʒənt/
members of a governing board
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Good morning, my lord,” he said.
cut with a saw
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
sellingnounUS /ˈselɪŋ/
the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
having a supporting base
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
toynounUS /tɔɪ/
an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading “What about a toy balloon for the baby?”
trinketsnounUS /ˈtrɪŋkəts/
plural of “trinket” — cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
uncouthadjectiveUS /ˈʌnˈkuːθ/
lacking refinement or cultivation or taste
From this reading The man knew him; at any rate, his uncouth features twisted in a smile.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading Walking down Regent Street one morning, Johnny Gray saw a familiar face--a man standing on the kerb selling penny trinkets.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What about a toy balloon for the baby?”
in or at the place that
From this reading The face was oddly familiar, but he had gone on a dozen paces before he could recall where he had seen him before, and turned back.
