used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
having companions or an escort
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
how long something has existed
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
in the past
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
pleasantly occupied
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
any person at all
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
attendantsnounUS /əˈtendənts/
plural of “attendant” — someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
bathingnounUS /ˈbeɪðɪŋ/
immersing the body in water or sunshine
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
BEGINNINGSnounUS /bɪˈɡɪnɪŋz/
plural of “beginning” — the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading THE BEGINNINGS OF PRUSSIA.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
a youthful male person
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
fortyadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrti/
being ten more than thirty
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
a person of German nationality
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
the act of departing
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
machinesnounUS /məˈʃiːnz/
plural of “machine” — any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE BEGINNINGS OF PRUSSIA.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
PRUSSIAnounUS /ˈprʌʃə/
a former kingdom in north-central Europe including present-day northern Germany and northern Poland
From this reading THE BEGINNINGS OF PRUSSIA.
resortnounUS /rɪˈzɔːrt/
a hotel located in a resort area
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
cut with a saw
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
seasidenounUS /ˈsiːsaɪd/
the shore of a sea or ocean regarded as a resort
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
a male human offspring
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
spendingnounUS /ˈspendɪŋ/
the act of spending or disbursing money
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
carry out
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BEGINNINGS OF PRUSSIA.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
-ing form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
tutorverbUS /ˈtuːtər/
be a tutor to someone; give individual instruction
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The son of the owner of the machines, a boy of about his own age, saw him so engaged, and, going up to him, told him to stop throwing.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading One morning this boy went down to the beach and amused himself by throwing stones at the bathing machines.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Now the German boy had been brought up to believe that he could do as he pleased, without anyone daring to take him to task.
a late time of life
From this reading About forty years ago a German boy, accompanied by his tutor and other attendants, was spending a holiday at a seaside resort in the south of England.
