used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
any thing at all
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
a short stout club used primarily by policemen
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
brought into existence
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
a youthful male person
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
cupboardnounUS /ˈkʌbərd/
a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
plural of “degree” — a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
dulness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
being one more than seven
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
fascinatingadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
Hamlet's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
illustriousadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈlʌstriəs/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
irreverentadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈrevərənt/
showing lack of due respect or veneration
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
meditateverbUS /ˈmedəteɪt/
reflect deeply on a subject
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
a person authorized to conduct religious worship
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
something you have to do
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
in other respects or ways
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
pitchingnounUS /ˈpɪtʃɪŋ/
(baseball) playing the position of pitcher on a baseball team
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
PittnounUS /pɪt/
a British playwright who created the fictional character Sweeney Todd (1799-1855)
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
social relations involving intrigue to gain authority or power
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
raspberry-jam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
express in words
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
so-and-sonoun
a person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
solemnlyadverbUS /ˈsɔːləmli/
in a grave and sedate manner
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
carry out
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
tartadjectiveUS /tɑːrt/
tasting sour like a lemon
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading By degrees I got some unconscious knowledge of the characters of Shakespeare.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
precisely as stated
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
Will'snounUS /wɪlz/
possessive form of “will” — the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention
From this reading He taught me what to think of it by pitching Great Will's voice high, and Hamlet's very low.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He could guess on Saturday whether I should name William Pitt on the Sunday; for, on those occasions, 'Slender Billy,' as I hope I am not irreverent in calling him, made up for the dulness of his high career with a raspberry-jam tart, for which, my father told me solemnly, the illustrious Minister had in his day a passion.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading If I named him, my father would say, 'W. P., otherwise S. B., was born in the year so-and-so; now,' and he went to the cupboard, 'in the name of Politics, take this and meditate upon him.'
a late time of life
From this reading There never was so fascinating a father as mine for a boy anything under eight or ten years old.
