used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
bootedadjectiveUS /ˈbuːtɪd/
wearing boots
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
a tight-fitting headdress
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
CATASTROPHEnounUS /kəˈtæstrəfi/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
anything that covers or conceals
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
a woman's dress, usually with a close-fitting bodice and a long flared skirt, often worn on formal occasions
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “You have to thank yourself only, sir, and my mother.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
immediately past
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading “You have to thank yourself only, sir, and my mother.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
immediately following in time or order
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
and nothing more
From this reading “You have to thank yourself only, sir, and my mother.
Ralph
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
term of address for a man
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
sleevenounUS /sliːv/
the part of a garment that is attached at the armhole and that provides a cloth covering for the arm
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
a male human offspring
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
spurredverbUS /spɜːrd/
inflected form of “spur” — incite or stimulate
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
tightadjectiveUS /taɪt/
closely constrained or constricted or constricting
From this reading They met in the hall, Sir James in his loose morning gown and Ralph booted and spurred with his short cloak and tight cap.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading The old man took him by the sleeve, drawing him to the fire that burned day and night in winter.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
but in spite of that
From this reading A CATASTROPHE Ralph rode away early next morning, yet not so early as to escape an interview with his father.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Ralph--Ralph, my son,” he said, “I must thank you for last night.”
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading “You have to thank yourself only, sir, and my mother.
