used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
past form of “attract” — direct toward itself or oneself by means of some psychological power or physical attributes
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
blackedverbUS /blækt/
past form of “black” — make or become black
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
a youthful male person
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
cheapadjectiveUS /tʃiːp/
relatively low in price or charging low prices
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
cleanlyadverbUS /ˈkliːnli/
smoothly and without difficulty; precisely and deftly
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
coarseadjectiveUS /kɔːrs/
of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
dilapidatedadjectiveUS /dəˈlæpədeɪtɪd/
in deplorable condition
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
expectantadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspektənt/
marked by eager anticipation
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
headdress that protects the head from bad weather; has shaped crown and usually a brim
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
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 He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
Mayberry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
neatadjectiveUS /niːt/
clean or organized
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
on one occasion
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
an effortful attempt to attain a goal
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
presentableadjectiveUS /prəˈzentəbəl/
fit to be seen
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
replacedverbUS /ˌriːˈpleɪst/
past form of “replace” — substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected)
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
cut with a saw
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
a particular situation
From this reading He had on a pair of coarse shoes, carefully blacked, and a new, cheap hat replaced the dilapidated one of the day before.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
having a supporting base
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But there was a cleanly, neat look about him which attracted me at once.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
having come into contact
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
vestverbUS /vest/
provide with power and authority
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading My heart was touched when I saw what pains his mother had taken to put her boy in presentable shape.
at the time that
From this reading THE OFFICE BOY When I approached the office the next morning, little Ben Mayberry was standing outside, smiling and expectant.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading He wore a short coat and a vest, which must have served him as his Sunday suit for a long time, as they were much too small for him.
