Chapter VII

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

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

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

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

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

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

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

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

curved down like an eagle's beak

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

eat an early morning meal

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

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

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

having or capable of producing colors

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

the opposition or dissimilarity of things that are compared

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

recognizable; marked

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

weak from exhaustion

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

inflected form of “envy” — feel envious towards; admire enviously

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

indicating exactness or preciseness

From this reading His height in his stockinged feet was exactly six feet one.

plural of “eyebrow” — the arch of hair above each eye

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

opinion or judgment

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

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

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

having lost freshness or brilliance of color

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading His height in his stockinged feet was exactly six feet one.

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

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

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

pleasing in appearance especially by reason of conformity to ideals of form and proportion

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

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

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

the vertical dimension of extension; distance from the base of something to the top

From this reading His height in his stockinged feet was exactly six feet one.

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

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

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

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

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

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

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

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

a hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

and nothing more

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

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

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

an unshaved growth of hair on the upper lip

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

a brief written record

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading His height in his stockinged feet was exactly six feet one.

unnatural lack of color in the skin (as from bruising or sickness or emotional distress)

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

past form of “pass” — go across or through

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

by chance

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

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

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

used of hair; thick and poorly groomed

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading His height in his stockinged feet was exactly six feet one.

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

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

of the white color of snow

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

the state of being neat and smart and trim

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

wearing stockings

From this reading His height in his stockinged feet was exactly six feet one.

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

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

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

in or at that place or location

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

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

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

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

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

a cold pudding made of layers of sponge cake spread with fruit or jelly; may be decorated with nuts, cream, or chocolate

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

the property of being upright in posture

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

a unit of potential equal to the potential difference between two points on a conductor carrying a current of 1 ampere when the power dissipated between the two points is 1 watt

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

precisely as stated

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

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

From this reading AN OLD GENERAL I General Carden, V.C., C.B., D.S.O., was sitting at breakfast in his house in Sloane Street.

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

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was handsome, too, with his fine aquiline features, his snow-white hair, and his drooping moustache.

but in spite of that

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading He was not a young man--in fact, he had just passed his seventy-seventh birthday--but there was about him an air of trim spruceness, an uprightness that many a younger man might have envied.

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading His blue eyes, under shaggy eyebrows, were perhaps a trifle faded from the colour of their youth, yet they struck a very decided note in contrast to his face, which was like old ivory, and to the pallor of his hair.