used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a memorable feast.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
blinkverbUS /blɪŋk/
briefly shut the eyes
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
a youthful male person
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
coughverbUS /kɑːf/
exhale abruptly, as when one has a chest cold or congestion
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
a ceremonial dinner party for many people
From this reading It was a memorable feast.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
a man of refinement
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
past form of “introduce” — cause to come to know personally
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a memorable feast.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
the flesh of animals (including fishes and birds and snails) used as food
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
memorableadjectiveUS /ˈmemərəbəl/
worth remembering
From this reading It was a memorable feast.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
pastrynounUS /ˈpeɪstri/
a dough of flour and water and shortening
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
questionedverbUS /ˈkwestʃənd/
past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
soupnounUS /suːp/
liquid food especially of meat or fish or vegetable stock often containing pieces of solid food
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
swallowedverbUS /ˈswɑːloʊd/
past form of “swallow” — pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was introduced to them as the little boy dropped from the sky.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading How they laughed to see me blink and cough after I had swallowed half the glass like water.
fermented juice (of grapes especially)
From this reading I had soup, fish, meat, and pastry, and, for the first time in my life, a glass of wine.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The old gentleman would not allow me to be questioned before I had eaten.
