used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
(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 But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading You may well know that the girls were pleased enough to see the boys come back.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
next to; at the side of
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
chasednounUS /tʃeɪst/
a person who is being chased
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
chasingverbUS /ˈtʃeɪsɪŋ/
-ing form of “chase” — go after with the intent to catch
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading You may well know that the girls were pleased enough to see the boys come back.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading You may well know that the girls were pleased enough to see the boys come back.
at any time
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading But how the girls laughed!
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
gleenounUS /ɡliː/
great merriment
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But how the girls laughed!
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
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 But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading You may well know that the girls were pleased enough to see the boys come back.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading But how the girls laughed!
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
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 The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
millverbUS /mɪl/
move about in a confused manner
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
mothersnounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
naughtyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːti/
suggestive of sexual impropriety
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
a course of conduct
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading You may well know that the girls were pleased enough to see the boys come back.
past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
cut with a saw
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You may well know that the girls were pleased enough to see the boys come back.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
steeplenounUS /ˈstiːpəl/
a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
a special situation
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading You may well know that the girls were pleased enough to see the boys come back.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
precisely as stated
From this reading The boys did not run very, very long before they saw the mill, and the steeple; they chased along the path in high glee after that, and did a great many things beside chasing along the path.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading You may well know that the girls were pleased enough to see the boys come back.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading But they all got home so long before the mothers came from the mill, that the mothers never knew that they had ever started for London until they were told.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You may be sure they were glad that their boys had at length remembered what a naughty, foolish thing they were doing.
