used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
matters of personal concern
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
afternoonsnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/
plural of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
brownstonenounUS /ˈbraʊnstoʊn/
a reddish brown sandstone; used in buildings
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
centeredadjectiveUS /ˈsentərd/
being or placed in the center
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
contentedadjectiveUS /kənˈtentəd/
satisfied or showing satisfaction with things as they are
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
a place off to the side of an area
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
disturbernoun
a troubler who interrupts or interferes with peace and quiet; someone who causes disorder and commotion
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
a young female
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
a health facility where patients receive treatment
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
intrudernounUS /ˌɪnˈtruːdər/
someone who intrudes on the privacy or property of another without permission
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
an educational institution
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
make square
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two boys and a little girl lived here, and about them our small circle centered.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And first in the church and then in a private school near by I grew to be friends with their children.
wivesnounUS /waɪvz/
plural of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading But if my father was an intruder, a disturber of the peace of these contented gentlemen, my mother was more and more liked by their wives.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading As time wore on they came to our house in the afternoons, upon hospital and church affairs.
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Across the street from us at the corner there stood a huge, square brownstone house with a garden and a wide yard around it.
