used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
round object that is hit or thrown or kicked in games
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
have
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
a person who is in charge
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
defeatnounUS /dɪˈfiːt/
an unsuccessful ending to a struggle or contest
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
EllisnounUS /ˈelɪs/
plural of “elli” — (Norse mythology) goddess of old age who defeated Thor in a wrestling match
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
Ellis's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
give expression to
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
set up or found
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
golfnounUS /ɡɑːlf/
a game played on a large open course with 9 or 18 holes; the object is use as few strokes as possible in playing all the holes
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
idlyadverbUS /ˈaɪdli/
in an idle manner
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
JudithnounUS /ˈdʒuːdəθ/
Jewish heroine in one of the books of the Apocrypha; she saved her people by decapitating the Assyrian general Holofernes
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
Mather
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
Mather's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
and nothing more
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
a form of address for a man
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
not any; not one
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
participate in games or sport
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
pledgesnounUS /ˈpledʒɪz/
plural of “pledge” — a deposit of personal property as security for a debt
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
politelyadverbUS /pəˈlaɪtli/
in a polite manner
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
in the near future
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
promoternounUS /prəˈmoʊtər/
someone who is an active supporter and advocate
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
promoter's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
rankledverbUS /ˈræŋkəld/
past form of “rankle” — gnaw into; make resentful or angry
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
mutual dealings or connections or communications among persons or groups
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
repudiatingverbUS /riˈpjuːdieɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “repudiate” — cast off
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
resultsnounUS /rɪˈzʌlts/
plural of “result” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
uttered with a trill
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
socially incorrect in behavior
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
cut with a saw
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
SETSnounUS /sets/
plural of “set” — a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens accidentally
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
be seated
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
subwaynounUS /ˈsʌbweɪ/
an electric railway operating below the surface of the ground (usually in a city)
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
express a supposition
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
believed likely
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
possessing sweep
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
temptationnounUS /temˈteɪʃən/
something that seduces or has the quality to seduce
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
in or at that place or location
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
at the time that
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
which person or people
From this reading The promoter had merely stretched out his hand and taken, repudiating the pledges of those who spoke in his name.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Therefore, in spite of the little shock which Mather felt when he saw Ellis with Judith, he came forward and greeted politely.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was a chance, of course, to "get back"; it would have been easy to express surprise at the promoter's presence, and to ask how he liked the club now that he really was there.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading SETS THE BALL TO ROLLING No young man can bear to sit down idly under misfortune; but though the chief results of Mather's work were lost to him, and his great plans--his subway--swept away, and though his defeat rankled, he had not suspected personal feeling in Ellis's action.
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading Mather felt the temptation, but there was too much behind his relations with Ellis for the younger man to be rude, and he presently found himself saying: "I don't suppose you play golf, Mr. Ellis?"
