Chapter III · Uncle Zach and Craig Mason

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

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

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

any thing at all

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading But they were better than nothing when one was bored.

plural of “boarder” — a tenant in someone's house

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

tired of the world

From this reading But they were better than nothing when one was bored.

United States inventor of firearms (especially automatic pistols and repeating rifles and a machine gun called the Peacemaker) (1855-1926)

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But they were better than nothing when one was bored.

past form of “care” — feel concern or interest

From this reading Not that he cared particularly for girls as a whole.

a loving feeling

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

one who is the object of choice; who is given preference

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

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

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

put on clothes

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

the experiencing of affective and emotional states

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

having or displaying warmth or affection

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Not that he cared particularly for girls as a whole.

not serious in content or attitude or behavior

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

comparative of “gay” — bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

a young female

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

plural of “girl” — a young female

From this reading Not that he cared particularly for girls as a whole.

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

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

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

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

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

lacking companions or companionship

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

American Revolutionary leader from Virginia whose objections led to the drafting of the Bill of Rights (1725-1792)

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

the force of workers available

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

used to form the superlative

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

in large part; mainly or chiefly

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

not any; not one

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Not that he cared particularly for girls as a whole.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

an insignificant place

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

From this reading Not that he cared particularly for girls as a whole.

go across or through

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

on the contrary

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

characterized by good substantial quality

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

the act of spending or disbursing money

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Not that he cared particularly for girls as a whole.

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

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

in or at that place or location

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

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

From this reading They were mostly a frivolous lot, fond of dress and fashion and flirting, and caring nothing for anything solid, like Browning.

depleted of strength or energy

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

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

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

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

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

at the time that

From this reading But they were better than nothing when one was bored.

in or at the place that

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

which person or people

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

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

From this reading Not that he cared particularly for girls as a whole.

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

From this reading His mother was spending the day at East Ridgefield, and, as most of the boarders in the house were men who had their business to attend to, he was rather lonely and sometimes wished he had chosen a gayer place than Ridgefield, where there was some excitement and now and then a girl to amuse himself with.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.

showing curiosity

From this reading Craig Mason was feeling tired and wondering how he was to pass the hot morning with no one to talk to and nowhere to go and nothing to see if he went there.