Chapter II · Chapter 2

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

(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 "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

Having no one else present.

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

earlier than; in front of

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

free from dirt or impurities; or having clean habits

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

plural of “mop” — cleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened to a handle; for cleaning floors

From this reading I can clean windows while Polly mops, and then we shall soon be done."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

used with “to” to say what is right or advisable

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

plural of “patient” — a person who requires medical care

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

a full supply

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

express in words

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

clean with hard rubbing

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

made clean by scrubbing

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading I can clean windows while Polly mops, and then we shall soon be done."

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

in the near future

From this reading I can clean windows while Polly mops, and then we shall soon be done."

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

sweep across or over

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading I can clean windows while Polly mops, and then we shall soon be done."

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It ought to be done before you stay here, let alone the patients."

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

precisely as stated

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

plural of “ward” — a person who is under the protection or in the custody of another

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading I can clean windows while Polly mops, and then we shall soon be done."

(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 "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

during the time that

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading "Will says the wards--that means the rooms, Tony--are scrubbed every day or two, and kept very clean, and well venti--something--I can't say it; but it means having a plenty of air come in.

(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface

From this reading I can clean windows while Polly mops, and then we shall soon be done."

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading "So it had," said Nelly, looking very wise all of a sudden.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "I'll sweep up while you see if Polly can come and scrub the room out.