Chapter I

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

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

(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 The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

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

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

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

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

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

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

weapons considered collectively

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

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

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

(of offspring) generated by procreation

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

brought into existence

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

an ancient city on the Bosporus founded by the Greeks; site of modern Istanbul; in 330 Constantine I rebuilt the city and called it Constantinople and made it his capital

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

put quickly or forcibly

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

an outer garment that has sleeves and covers the body from shoulder down; worn outdoors

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

express approval of

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading That is no country for old men.

plural of “die” — a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

put on clothes

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

start firing a weapon

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading That is no country for old men.

a domesticated gallinaceous bird thought to be descended from the red jungle fowl

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

plural of “generation” — all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

coins made of gold

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

a sacred place of pilgrimage

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

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

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

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

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

knowledge and intellectual ability

From this reading Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.

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

From this reading That is no country for old men.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

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 The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

comparative of “loud” — characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

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

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

splendid or imposing in size or appearance

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

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

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

United States poet (1869-1950)

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

the force of workers available

From this reading That is no country for old men.

plural of “monument” — a structure erected to commemorate persons or events

From this reading Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.

subject to death

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

art consisting of a design made of small pieces of colored stone or glass

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner

From this reading Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

leave undone or leave out

From this reading Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.

not any; not one

From this reading That is no country for old men.

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

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading That is no country for old men.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

not worth considering

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

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

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

plural of “sage” — a mentor in spiritual and philosophical topics who is renowned for profound wisdom

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

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

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

an educational institution

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

marked by the appetites and passions of the body

From this reading Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.

deliver by singing

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

the act of singing vocal music

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

a short musical composition with words

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

having a supporting base

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

put, fix, force, or implant

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

reading carefully with intent to remember

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

a small piece of cloth or paper

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

worn to shreds; or wearing torn or ragged clothing

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading That is no country for old men.

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

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

in or at that place or location

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

for that reason; as a result

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

a special situation

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

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

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

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

From this reading Caught in that sensual music all neglect Monuments of unaging intellect.

except if; if not

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress, Nor is there singing school but studying Monuments of its own magnificence; And therefore I have sailed the seas and come To the holy city of Byzantium.

an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading III O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in the gold mosaic of a wall, Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre, And be the singing masters of my soul.

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.

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

From this reading The young In one another’s arms, birds in the trees, --Those dying generations--at their song, The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas, Fish flesh or fowl, commend all summer long Whatever is begotten born and dies.