used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
how long something has existed
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
(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 For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
a youthful male person
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
Chet
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
corralverbUS /kərˈæl/
enclose in a corral
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
at any time
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
hardestadverbUS /ˈhɑːrdəst/
superlative of “hard” — with effort or force or vigor
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
HavensnounUS /ˈheɪvənz/
plural of “haven” — a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
past form of “help” — give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
deeply or markedly affected or influenced
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
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 He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
past form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
a form of address for a man
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
as might be expected
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
particularsnounUS /pərˈtɪkjələrz/
plural of “particular” — a fact about some part (as opposed to general)
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
to say, state, or perform again
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Chet had seen and understood.
not often
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
shieldedadjectiveUS /ˈʃiːldɪd/
(used especially of machinery) protected by a shield to prevent injury
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
suburbnounUS /ˈsʌbərb/
a residential district located on the outskirts of a city
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
in or at that place or location
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
thoughtfuladjectiveUS /ˈθɔːtfəl/
having intellectual depth
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading He knew that his mother was not to be troubled by ordinary things if it could be helped.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading Chet had seen and understood.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For his age he was naturally a thoughtful boy, and he had been impressed by the manner in which his father ever shielded the delicate, gentle mother from all the rough things of life.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading If there was an accident in the mine, Mr. Havens seldom mentioned it before his wife, and never did he repeat the particulars.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Those few yards between the corral and the back door of the Havens’ pretty home in the Silver Run suburb were the hardest steps Chet had ever taken.
