used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
afieldadverbUS /əˈfiːld/
far away from home or one's usual surroundings
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
agitatedadjectiveUS /ˈædʒəteɪtɪd/
troubled emotionally and usually deeply
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
(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 WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
move towards
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
circus-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
conveyverbUS /kənˈveɪ/
(of information) make known; pass on
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
grandmother'snounUS /ˈɡrændmʌðərz/
possessive form of “grandmother” — the mother of your father or mother
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading I preferred to be nearer at hand.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
past form of “invite” — increase the likelihood of
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
Jimmy'snounUS /ˈdʒɪmiz/
possessive form of “jimmy” — a short crowbar
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
lengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈleŋθənd/
drawn out or made longer spatially
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
engage in
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading I preferred to be nearer at hand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
PEACOCKSnounUS /ˈpiːkɑːks/
plural of “peacock” — European butterfly having reddish-brown wings each marked with a purple eyespot
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
an amount of time
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
personallyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrsənəli/
as yourself
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
pitchnounUS /pɪtʃ/
the property of sound that varies with variation in the frequency of vibration
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
preferredadjectiveUS /prəˈfɜːrd/
more desirable than another
From this reading I preferred to be nearer at hand.
make a promise or commitment
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
dignified and somber in manner or character and committed to keeping promises
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
past form of “stay” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
twenty-fouradjectiveUS /ˈtwentifɔːr/
being four more than twenty
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
precisely as stated
From this reading Jimmy could stay at the farm (fully two miles away) until the very morning, if he liked.
go to see a place, as for entertainment
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
at the time that
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Excitement had reached such a pitch that when, three days before circus-day, Jimmy invited me to make him a visit, I was in some doubt whether I ought to venture so far afield.
a Caucasian
From this reading WHITE PEACOCKS During the time that Jimmy stayed at his grandmother's farm--a period that was lengthened to more than two weeks--we were all agitated by the approach of a circus.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But on a solemn promise from Jimmy's Uncle Will that he would personally convey me home, behind one of his own horses, at least twenty-four hours before the great event, I thought it might be safe to risk it.
