used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
how long something has existed
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
fear resulting from the awareness of danger
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
(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 "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
backsnounUS /bæks/
plural of “back” — the posterior part of a human (or animal) body from the neck to the end of the spine
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
baggagenounUS /ˈbæɡədʒ/
cases used to carry belongings when traveling
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
baggage-wagon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
beggarnounUS /ˈbeɡər/
a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
a youthful male person
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
brigadenounUS /brəˈɡeɪd/
army unit smaller than a division
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
a commissioned military officer in the United States Army or Air Force or Marines who ranks above a lieutenant colonel and below a brigadier general
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
one or the other of two
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
having or displaying warmth or affection
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
a boy or man
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
immediately past
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
marchesnounUS /ˈmɑːrtʃɪz/
a region in central Italy
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
the force of workers available
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
not any; not one
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
perchedverbUS /pɜːrtʃt/
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
make a promise or commitment
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
the back of a military formation or procession
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
smartadjectiveUS /smɑːrt/
showing mental alertness and calculation and resourcefulness
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
carry out
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "He must be a sharp little beggar," the general said; "it is not every boy of his age that would have thought of beating the alarm, and every minute was of importance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
a source of difficulty
From this reading "The men are all fond of him," he said, "and he has certainly kept his promise that he should be no trouble.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
(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 At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
at the time that
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The colonel gave him the reasons for which he had brought the boy.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading At first he could not keep up with the marches, and was either perched on a baggage-wagon when he could go no farther, or if the baggage was all in the rear of the brigade they would take him on their backs; but for the last week he has managed to keep up well."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Well, lad, you have begun well," he said, "and should turn out a smart soldier some day.
