used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
how long something has existed
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
(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 The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
arrogateverbUS /ˈæroʊɡeɪt/
demand as being one's due or property; assert one's right or title to
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
attainedadjectiveUS /əˈteɪnd/
achieved or reached
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
breedverbUS /briːd/
call forth
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
characteristicnounUS /ˌkerəktərˈɪstɪk/
a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
a young person of either sex
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
childishadjectiveUS /ˈtʃaɪldɪʃ/
indicating a lack of maturity
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
(usually plural) everything that is included in a collection and that is held or included in something
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
cutsnounUS /kʌts/
plural of “cut” — a share of the profits
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
discretionnounUS /dɪˈskreʃən/
freedom to act or judge on one's own
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
EARLYadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
divisible by two
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
grandsonsnounUS /ˈɡrændsʌnz/
plural of “grandson” — a male grandchild
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
HamnounUS /hæm/
meat cut from the thigh of a hog (usually smoked)
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
ten 10s
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
INFLUENCESnounUS /ˈɪnfluːənsɪz/
plural of “influence” — a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
an occurrence of something
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
Japhet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
for more time
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
luxuriesnounUS /ˈlʌɡʒəriz/
plural of “luxury” — something that is an indulgence rather than a necessity
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
not any; not one
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
not one, and not any
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
presumedverbUS /prəˈzuːmd/
past form of “presume” — take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
Shemnoun
(Old Testament) eldest son of Noah
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
smartnessnounUS /ˈsmɑːrtnɪs/
a kind of pain such as that caused by a wound or a burn or a sore
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
superiorities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
confined on all sides
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
universenounUS /ˈjuːnəvɜːrs/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
not known
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
precisely as stated
From this reading EARLY INFLUENCES Boys remained boys in those old days very much longer than they do now.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
at the time that
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We were surrounded with none of those luxuries which are characteristic of modern life, and we were in no haste to grow old by taking short cuts across the fields of time.
which person or people
From this reading The smartness of children like my grandsons, Shem, Ham and Japhet, for instance, who at the age of two hundred and fifty arrogate to themselves all the knowledge of the universe, was comparatively unknown when I was a child.
in the company of; together with
From this reading To begin with we were of a different breed from the boys of to-day, and life itself was more simple.
a late time of life
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
youthfuladjectiveUS /ˈjuːθfəl/
suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh
From this reading We were content to remain youthful, and even childish, taking on ourselves none of the superiorities of age until we had attained to the years which are presumed to go with discretion.
