used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a boyish atmosphere about him still.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
(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 Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading There was a boyish atmosphere about him still.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
boundsnounUS /baʊndz/
the line or plane indicating the limit or extent of something
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
boyhoodnounUS /ˈbɔɪhʊd/
the childhood of a boy
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
boyishadjectiveUS /ˈbɔɪɪʃ/
befitting or characteristic of a young boy
From this reading There was a boyish atmosphere about him still.
the act of breaking something
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
confidencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnfədənsɪz/
plural of “confidence” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
cosmeticsnounUS /kɑːzˈmetɪks/
plural of “cosmetic” — a toiletry designed to beautify the body
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
fibrenounUS /ˈfaɪbər/
a slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading PAMELA "Pam, I've got something to tell you."
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
I've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PAMELA "Pam, I've got something to tell you."
invitingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvaɪtɪŋ/
attractive and tempting
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
immediately past
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
NormannounUS /ˈnɔːrmən/
United States operatic soprano (born in 1945)
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
Pam
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PAMELA "Pam, I've got something to tell you."
PAMELA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PAMELA "Pam, I've got something to tell you."
plasteredadjectiveUS /ˈplæstərd/
(of hair) made smooth by applying a sticky or glossy substance
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
skeinnounUS /skeɪn/
coils of worsted yarn
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
slimadjectiveUS /slɪm/
being of delicate or slender build
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading PAMELA "Pam, I've got something to tell you."
not in physical motion
From this reading There was a boyish atmosphere about him still.
strengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈstreŋθənd/
given added strength or support
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
express in words
From this reading PAMELA "Pam, I've got something to tell you."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a boyish atmosphere about him still.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading PAMELA "Pam, I've got something to tell you."
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading He was tall and slim, and his fair hair, which he tried to keep plastered to his head, was always breaking away from the bounds of its cosmetics and dropping a skein over his forehead.
twenty-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈtwentifaɪv/
being five more than twenty
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
(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 He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
the trees and other plants in a large densely wooded area
From this reading Norman had waited until they were away from the glare of the garden, and the green gloom of the summer woods was all about them, cool and secret and inviting to confidences.
a late time of life
From this reading He had not changed much since those days of boyhood, though he was now nearly twenty-five, and the last years of the war had caught him, and taught him some things that he wanted to forget, as well as much that had strengthened the fibre of which he was made.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading PAMELA "Pam, I've got something to tell you."
