used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading TOOKE CAME.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
an artistic form of nonverbal communication
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/
plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
(of materials or goods) brought to the desired final state
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
lessonsnounUS /ˈlesənz/
plural of “lesson” — a unit of instruction
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
a form of address for a man
From this reading WHY MR.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
participate in games or sport
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
ProctornounUS /ˈprɑːktər/
someone who supervises (an examination)
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
do one's shopping
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
move so that an opening or passage is obstructed; make shut
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
a beverage made by steeping tea leaves in water
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
TOOKE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TOOKE CAME.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading They always tried to get these done, and the books put away, before Mr. Proctor came in on his shop being shut, and the business of the day being finished.
violinnounUS /vaɪəˈlɪn/
bowed stringed instrument that is the highest member of the violin family; this instrument has four strings and a hollow body and an unfretted fingerboard and is played with a bow
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading WHY MR.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading He liked to find his children at liberty for a little play, or half an hour of pleasant reading; or, in the winter evenings, for a dance to the music of his violin.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading After tea the young people had to learn their lessons for the next day.
