Chapter VI

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

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

surrounded by; in the company of

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

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

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

plural of “apple” — fruit with red or yellow or green skin and sweet to tart crisp whitish flesh

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

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

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

any cognitive content held as true

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

someone who robs at sea or plunders the land from the sea without having a commission from any sovereign nation

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

one or the other of two

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

plural of “fellow” — a boy or man

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

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

From this reading Oh! the trouble the man had!

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

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

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

not established by conditioning or learning

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

a feeling of pleasure and enjoyment

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Oh! the trouble the man had!

a children's game played with little balls made of a hard substance (as glass)

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

completely unclothed

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

plural of “neighbour” — a person who lives (or is located) near another

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Oh! the trouble the man had!

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

and nothing more

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

(baseball) playing the position of pitcher on a baseball team

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

a member of a police force

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

inflected form of “rob” — take something away by force or without the consent of the owner

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

express in words

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

having only essential or minimal features

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

having strength or power greater than average or expected

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

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

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Big fellows pitching into little ones, to get either their marbles or apples!

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

a criminal who takes property belonging to someone else with the intention of keeping it or selling it

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

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

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

a source of difficulty

From this reading Oh! the trouble the man had!

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

all the plant life in a particular region or period

From this reading Then he not only had to keep his neighbours from robbing each other, but he had to keep them off his own property; for had they dared they would have stripped him as naked as the desert is of vegetation.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

wanting in physical strength

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

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

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Whether it was from a belief in this principle of nature, or whether it was from an innate liking for the business it would be difficult to say; but it is a fact that the Buccaneer made himself for some considerable time a policeman, to keep order amongst his neighbours, and prevent the strong from robbing and setting upon the weak.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading It is said by the wiseacres of the world that you should always set a thief to catch a thief.