Chapter XXIII

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

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

the part of the day between noon and evening

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

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

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

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

From this reading Water Insects.--Aquaria.

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

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

plural of “beetle” — insect having biting mouthparts and front wings modified to form horny covers overlying the membranous rear wings

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

the lower side of anything

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

rid of obstructions

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

calm and unruffled self-assurance

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

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

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

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

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

compelled forcibly by an outside agency

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

the act of consuming food

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

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

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

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

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

the act of someone who fishes as a diversion

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

set up or found

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

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

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

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

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

small air-breathing arthropod

From this reading The pool was teeming with insect life.

plural of “insect” — small air-breathing arthropod

From this reading Water Insects.--Aquaria.

a formal or official examination

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The pool was teeming with insect life.

take the midday meal

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

resembling a labyrinth in form or complexity

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

and nothing more

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

above and across; more than

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

an excavation that is (usually) filled with water

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

plural of “reed” — tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

try to get or reach

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

the act of removing floating material from the surface of a liquid

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

in the near future

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

not in physical motion

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

abundantly filled with especially living things

From this reading The pool was teeming with insect life.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

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

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

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

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

very small

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

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

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

precisely as stated

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

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

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading Water Insects.--Aquaria.

(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 The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

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

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

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

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

during the time that

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.

a conical child's plaything tapering to a steel point on which it can be made to spin

From this reading The surface of the water was covered with tiny whirligig beetles, which were skimming about in mazy, coruscating evolutions.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The pool was teeming with insect life.

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading The water below them was very clear and still, and as it was only about two feet deep they could see the bottom quite plainly, and they soon found that it was well worth a close inspection.

an expensive vessel propelled by sail or power and used for cruising or racing

From this reading One July afternoon the boys had been fishing, and to seek some shade and coolness while eating their lunch, they had driven the yacht into a quiet pool among the reeds, which almost met over them.