used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
Alec
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
auldadjectiveUS /ɔːld/
a Scottish word
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
awedadjectiveUS /ɔːd/
inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
biffnounUS /bɪf/
(boxing) a blow with the fist
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
a youthful male person
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
brother'snounUS /ˈbrʌðərz/
possessive form of “brother” — a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
ClappernounUS /ˈklæpər/
someone who applauds
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
clasping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
clothing in general
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
crikey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
a person who is older than you are
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading It was a great experience.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
gie's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It was a great experience.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
Johnstone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
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 It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
mucklenounUS /ˈmʌkəl/
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
easily agitated
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
north-westadverb
to, toward, or in the northwest
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
patchedadjectiveUS /pætʃt/
mended usually clumsily by covering a hole with a patch
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
REBELnounUS /ˈrebəl/
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
Robert'snounUS /ˈrɑːbərts/
possessive form of “robert” — United States parliamentary authority and author (in 1876) of Robert's Rules of Order (1837-1923)
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
an educational institution
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/
from appearances alone
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
SinclairnounUS /sɪnˈkler/
United States writer whose novels argued for social reform (1878-1968)
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
sparkledverbUS /ˈspɑːrkəld/
past form of “sparkle” — reflect brightly
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
the season of growth
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
tawsenoun
a leather strap for punishing children
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
up to a particular time
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
toweled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
trudgedverbUS /trʌdʒd/
past form of “trudge” — walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
twa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading It was a fine morning in late spring, and Robert trudged the seemingly long road, clasping an elder brother's hand, for the school lay about a mile to the north-west of the village, and that seemed to the boy a very long way.
weeadjectiveUS /wiː/
(used informally) very small
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
(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 Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
winoun
a midwestern state in north central United States
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
showing curiosity
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading "By crikey," said wee Alec Johnstone to him, "wait till auld Clapper gie's ye a biff or twa wi' his muckle tawse.
a late time of life
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
but in spite of that
From this reading Robert's clothes had been well patched, his face had been washed and toweled till it shone, his eyes sparkled with excitement, and his heart beat high; yet he was nervous and awed, wondering what he would find there.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading A YOUNG REBEL About two years after these events little Robert Sinclair went to school.
