used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It suddenly dived into a hole and disappeared.
quickly and without warning
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
AfricanadjectiveUS /ˈæfrəkən/
of or relating to the nations of Africa or their peoples
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
allowingverbUS /əˈlaʊɪŋ/
-ing form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It suddenly dived into a hole and disappeared.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
avoidedverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪd/
past form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
biteverbUS /baɪt/
to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
brainsnounUS /breɪnz/
plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
taking care or paying attention
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/
(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
causingnounUS /ˈkɑːzɪŋ/
the act of causing something to happen
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
dashingadjectiveUS /ˈdæʃɪŋ/
lively and spirited
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading It suddenly dived into a hole and disappeared.
divedverbUS /daɪvd/
past form of “dive” — drop steeply
From this reading It suddenly dived into a hole and disappeared.
having the power of driving or impelling
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
effectuallyadverb
in an effectual manner
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
the act of escaping physically
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
fangsnounUS /fæŋz/
plural of “fang” — a Bantu language spoken in Cameroon
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
flipverbUS /flɪp/
lightly throw to see which side comes up
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
flocknounUS /flɑːk/
a church congregation guided by a pastor
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
hold firmly
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
an established custom
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
handlingnounUS /ˈhændlɪŋ/
manual (or mechanical) carrying or moving or delivering or working with something
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
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 It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
an opening into or through something
From this reading It suddenly dived into a hole and disappeared.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It suddenly dived into a hole and disappeared.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It suddenly dived into a hole and disappeared.
JonathannounUS /ˈdʒɑːnəθən/
red late-ripening apple; primarily eaten raw
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
lashverbUS /læʃ/
beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
used to form the superlative
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
in spite of what has just been said
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
in other respects or ways
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
pursuernounUS /pərˈsuːər/
a person who is pursuing and trying to overtake or capture
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
snakesnounUS /sneɪks/
plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
in the near future
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
springboks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
happening unexpectedly
From this reading It suddenly dived into a hole and disappeared.
swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
tailsnounUS /teɪlz/
formalwear consisting of full evening dress for men
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
carry out
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
push forcefully
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
in the direction of
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading As the bite of most South African snakes means death, if the part be not cut out, or otherwise effectually treated, handling them is carefully avoided.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Soon we perceived two of our comrades driving a flock of springboks towards the river.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
at the time that
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
whipverbUS /wɪp/
beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It is said that when snakes take to a hole to escape pursuit, some of them have a habit of causing their heads to stop abruptly at the entrance, and allowing their bodies and tails to flip past like the lash of a whip, so that if the pursuer were to thrust in his hand to grasp the tail he would be met by the fangs!
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading Nevertheless my friend Jonathan--when a younger man, let us hope!--was in the habit of occasionally catching deadly snakes by the tail, swinging them round his head, and dashing out their brains on a stone or tree!
