used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The rocks about him were expanding enormously.
abstractedlyadverb
in an absentminded or preoccupied manner
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading What quantity he took, the Very Young Man afterward could never decide.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
AuranounUS /ˈɔːrə/
a sensation (as of a cold breeze or bright light) that precedes the onset of certain disorders such as a migraine attack or epileptic seizure
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
checkverbUS /tʃek/
examine so as to determine accuracy, quality, or condition
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading What quantity he took, the Very Young Man afterward could never decide.
reach, make, or come to a decision about something
From this reading What quantity he took, the Very Young Man afterward could never decide.
DINOSAURnounUS /ˈdaɪnəsɔːr/
any of numerous extinct terrestrial reptiles of the Mesozoic era
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
drugverbUS /drʌɡ/
administer a drug to
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
enormouslyadverbUS /ɪˈnɔːrməsli/
extremely
From this reading The rocks about him were expanding enormously.
expandingverbUS /ɪkˈspændɪŋ/
-ing form of “expand” — extend in one or more directions
From this reading The rocks about him were expanding enormously.
undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
giganticadjectiveUS /dʒaɪˈɡæntɪk/
so exceedingly large or extensive as to suggest a giant or mammoth
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
growthnounUS /ɡroʊθ/
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The rocks about him were expanding enormously.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
outeradjectiveUS /ˈaʊtər/
being on the outside or further from a center
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
quantitynounUS /ˈkwɑːntəti/
how much there is or how many there are of something that you can quantify
From this reading What quantity he took, the Very Young Man afterward could never decide.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The rocks about him were expanding enormously.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
a special situation
From this reading But the next thing he knew, the figures of his companions had grown to gigantic size.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
precisely as stated
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The rocks about him were expanding enormously.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What quantity he took, the Very Young Man afterward could never decide.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The Doctor had told them to check their growth: and he took the drug abstractedly, for his mind was on Aura and how she would feel, coming for the first time into this great outer world.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading A MODERN DINOSAUR The Very Young Man never knew quite how it happened.
