used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
BendverbUS /bend/
form a curve
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
buckleverbUS /ˈbʌkəl/
fasten with a buckle or buckles
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
a young person of either sex
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
enthusiasticadjectiveUS /ɪnˌθuːziˈæstɪk/
having or showing great excitement and interest
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
divisible by two
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
Fred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
destroyed or killed
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
only a very short time before
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
induceverbUS /ˌɪnˈduːs/
cause to arise
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
gain knowledge or skills
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
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 “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
Margy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
any competition
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
To recall to mind.
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
RiddleverbUS /ˈrɪdəl/
pierce with many holes
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
an educational institution
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
skatenounUS /skeɪt/
sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs
From this reading She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
skatesnounUS /skeɪts/
plural of “skate” — sports equipment that is worn on the feet to enable the wearer to glide along and to be propelled by the alternate actions of the legs
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
skatingnounUS /ˈskeɪtɪŋ/
the sport of gliding on skates
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
in the near future
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
swingsnounUS /swɪŋz/
plural of “swing” — a state of steady vigorous action that is characteristic of an activity
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
(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 She could skate well, as indeed could nearly every child in River Bend.
at the time that
From this reading The Riddle Club members could hardly remember the time when they had not gone skating.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
in the company of; together with
From this reading With a river at hand, it would have been strange if they had failed to learn as soon as they could buckle on their skates.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading ANOTHER RACE Although Margy refused to be enthusiastic about cold weather, nothing would induce her to miss a skating party.
Wouldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading “Wouldn’t it have been a shame,” said Fred, striking off up the ice with long, even swings, “if the first skating of the year had come while we had to go to school?”
