used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
in addition
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At this meeting plans were made for the Easter vacation.
banishverbUS /ˈbænɪʃ/
expel from a community or group
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
boarding-school
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
breatheverbUS /briːð/
draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
carefully weighed
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
EasternounUS /ˈiːstər/
a Christian celebration of the Resurrection of Christ; celebrated on the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox
From this reading At this meeting plans were made for the Easter vacation.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At this meeting plans were made for the Easter vacation.
Fred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
hair-brained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading At this meeting plans were made for the Easter vacation.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading TENT MAKING.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
notionsnounUS /ˈnoʊʃənz/
plural of “notion” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
outingnounUS /ˈaʊtɪŋ/
a journey taken for pleasure
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
parentaladjectiveUS /pərˈentəl/
designating the generation of organisms from which hybrid offspring are produced
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
peremptorilyadverb
in an imperative and commanding manner
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
approval to do something
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
plural of “plan” — a series of steps to be carried out or goals to be accomplished
From this reading At this meeting plans were made for the Easter vacation.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading We also considered the matter of getting parental permission for our summer outing.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading TENT MAKING.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At this meeting plans were made for the Easter vacation.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
vacationnounUS /veɪˈkeɪʃən/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading At this meeting plans were made for the Easter vacation.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had a farewell meeting of the society the evening before Bill and I had to return to boarding-school.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading At this meeting plans were made for the Easter vacation.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading So far we had been afraid to breathe a word of our plans outside of the society, since Fred had said something about it in the presence of Father and had been peremptorily ordered to banish all such hair-brained, Wild West notions from his head.
