used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
(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 Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
eagerly desirous
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
botheringverbUS /ˈbɑːðərɪŋ/
-ing form of “bother” — take the trouble to do something; concern oneself
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading This was a very inopportune time for a cold, or whatever it was, to settle in his eyes.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
(often used in combination) having a specified direction
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
opinion or judgment
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This was a very inopportune time for a cold, or whatever it was, to settle in his eyes.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
helpingnounUS /ˈhelpɪŋ/
an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
inopportuneadjectiveUS /ˌɪnɑːpərˈtuːn/
not opportune
From this reading This was a very inopportune time for a cold, or whatever it was, to settle in his eyes.
marked by close acquaintance, association, or familiarity
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
and nothing more
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
immediately past
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading This was a very inopportune time for a cold, or whatever it was, to settle in his eyes.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
good-natured tolerance of delay or incompetence
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
by chance
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
PREMONITIONnounUS /preməˈnɪʃən/
a feeling of evil to come
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
sandyadjectiveUS /ˈsændi/
of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
From this reading This was a very inopportune time for a cold, or whatever it was, to settle in his eyes.
change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
studentsnounUS /ˈstuːdənts/
plural of “student” — a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading This was a very inopportune time for a cold, or whatever it was, to settle in his eyes.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
precisely as stated
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
a message informing of danger
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading This was a very inopportune time for a cold, or whatever it was, to settle in his eyes.
at the time that
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Perhaps the lights at the theatre last night, and then the wind coming home--but he smiled an intimate little smile with himself at thought of last night and forgot all about that sandy feeling in his eyes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading A WARNING AND A PREMONITION It put him very much out of patience to have his eyes bothering him just when he was so anxious to work.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading What in the world was the matter with them, he wondered, as he directed a couple of students on some work they were helping him with.
the day immediately before today
From this reading It seemed that yesterday afternoon he had taken a new start; now he was eager to work things out while he felt like this.
