Chapter I

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

how long something has existed

From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE AGE OF INNOCENCE,” ETC.

(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 Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

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

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE AGE OF INNOCENCE,” ETC.

stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

light teasing repartee

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

a blemish made by dirt

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

someone who is morally reprehensible

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

a game played with playing cards

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

the lap consisting of a turned-back hem encircling the end of the sleeve or leg

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

past form of “dawn” — become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

having the place or position changed

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE AGE OF INNOCENCE,” ETC.

divisible by two

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely; (“full” in this sense is used as a combining form)

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

a contest with rules to determine a winner

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

a burst of deep loud hearty laughter

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

flow in an irregular current with a bubbling noise

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

an event that happens

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

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

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

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

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

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

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

be the source of pain

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

a person of subnormal intelligence

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

the quality of being important and worthy of note

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

the quality of innocent naivete

From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE AGE OF INNOCENCE,” ETC.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

having words so spaced that lines have straight even margins

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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 I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

less than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

used to form the superlative

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

used when the speaker is also the object of the action

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

so small as to be meaningless; insignificant

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

an announcement containing information about an event

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE AGE OF INNOCENCE,” ETC.

many times at short intervals

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

an unrestrained expression of emotion

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

fire iron consisting of a metal rod with a handle; used to stir a fire

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

with speed

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

possessing material wealth

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

witty remark

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

the place where some action occurs

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

the decade from 1960 to 1969

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

a momentary flash of light

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading AUTHOR OF “THE AGE OF INNOCENCE,” ETC.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

moved around an axis or center

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

(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 I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

at the time that

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

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

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.

but in spite of that

From this reading I turned away so that he should not see how it hurt me to hear him called an idiot, even in joke--well, at least half in joke; yet I often thought him an idiot myself, and bad as my own poker was, I knew enough of the game to judge that his--when he wasn’t attending--fully justified such an outburst from his wife.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading (_The ’Sixties_) THE SPARK (_The ’Sixties_) “You idiot!” said his wife, and threw down her cards.

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

From this reading Why her sally disturbed me I couldn’t have said; nor why, when it was greeted by a shrill guffaw from her “latest,” young Bolton Byrne, I itched to cuff the little bounder; nor why, when Hayley Delane, on whom banter always dawned slowly but certainly, at length gave forth his low rich gurgle of appreciation--why then, most of all, I wanted to blot the whole scene from my memory.

a young person (especially a young man or boy)

From this reading I turned my head away quickly, to avoid seeing Hayley Delane’s face; though why I wished to avoid it I could not have told you, much less why I should have imagined (if I did) that a man of his age and importance would notice what was happening to the wholly negligible features of a youth like myself.