Chapter VII

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading “He certainly did!” answered Carl.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

come out better in a competition, race, or conflict

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “He certainly did!” answered Carl.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading “He certainly did!” answered Carl.

without stop or interruption

From this reading “Well then,” continued Jimmie, “we ought to go on to Monterey.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading “He certainly did!” answered Carl.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Havens told us to go out to Monterey, didn’t he?”

-ing form of “discuss” — to consider or examine in speech or writing

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

start firing a weapon

From this reading THE SIGNAL FIRE.

following the third position; number four in a countable series

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Havens told us to go out to Monterey, didn’t he?”

plural of “haven” — a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

From this reading Havens told us to go out to Monterey, didn’t he?”

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Havens told us to go out to Monterey, didn’t he?”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

a town in western California to the south of San Francisco on a peninsula at the southern end of Monterey Bay

From this reading Havens told us to go out to Monterey, didn’t he?”

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading “Well then,” continued Jimmie, “we ought to go on to Monterey.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Havens told us to go out to Monterey, didn’t he?”

a building where people go to eat

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message

From this reading THE SIGNAL FIRE.

the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

express in words

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE SIGNAL FIRE.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading “Well then,” continued Jimmie, “we ought to go on to Monterey.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Havens told us to go out to Monterey, didn’t he?”

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Havens told us to go out to Monterey, didn’t he?”

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading “Well then,” continued Jimmie, “we ought to go on to Monterey.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “I’ll tell you what it is,” Jimmie said, as the boys sat in a little restaurant on Fourth street, discussing the situation, “if we turn back to New York now, we’ll be off the beat.