used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
armchairnounUS /ˈɑːrmtʃer/
chair with a support on each side for arms
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
a state of being relaxed and feeling no pain
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
companionshipnounUS /kəmˈpænjənʃɪp/
the state of being with someone
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
contentmentnounUS /kənˈtentmənt/
happiness with one's situation in life
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The professor enjoyed his day of solitude.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
conceived of or imagined or hoped for
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading The professor enjoyed his day of solitude.
enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The professor enjoyed his day of solitude.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
located inward
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
instructiveadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈstrʌktɪv/
serving to instruct or enlighten or inform
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
held dear
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
the force of workers available
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
mixingnounUS /ˈmɪksɪŋ/
the act of mixing together
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
Ned's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
noisyadjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪzi/
full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The professor enjoyed his day of solitude.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
like better; value more highly
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading The professor enjoyed his day of solitude.
a purple color or pigment
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
quietnessnounUS /ˈkwaɪətnəs/
the property of making no sound
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
ranchnounUS /ræntʃ/
farm consisting of a large tract of land along with facilities needed to raise livestock (especially cattle)
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
uttered with a trill
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
and nothing more
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
snobbishadjectiveUS /ˈsnɑːbɪʃ/
befitting or characteristic of those who incline to social exclusiveness and who rebuff the advances of people considered inferior
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
solitudenounUS /ˈsɑːlətuːd/
a state of social isolation
From this reading The professor enjoyed his day of solitude.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
sunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The professor enjoyed his day of solitude.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
unsociableadjective
not inclined to society or companionship
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading A feeling of warm contentment came over the elderly man, for an hour or more he simply dreamed there, enjoying the comfort of Ned’s best armchair.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Not that the professor was the least bit snobbish or unsociable, but he loved the quietness of inner thought and the companionship of a book.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
which person or people
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading After the boys had disappeared over the hill he returned to the living room and sat in a sunny window looking out over the rolling country which extended for miles back of Ned’s ranch, away to the purple mountains in the distance.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
a late time of life
From this reading Long years of serious study and instructive reading had made him one of the men who prefer being alone to mixing with a noisy crowd.
