1923
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
absorbingadjectiveUS /əbˈzɔːrbɪŋ/
capable of arousing and holding the attention
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
eagerly desirous
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
a youthful male person
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
deridedverbUS /dɪˈraɪdɪd/
past form of “deride” — treat or speak of with contempt
From this reading That was in the forgotten, by some regretted, by many derided, nineties.
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
command with authority
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
disconsolateadjective
sad beyond comforting; incapable of being consoled
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
drawing-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
enquired
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
FOREWORDnounUS /ˈfɔːrwɜːrd/
a short introductory essay preceding the text of a book
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading That was in the forgotten, by some regretted, by many derided, nineties.
set up or found
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
the act of departing
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
a visitor to whom hospitality is extended
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
half-past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
the one or ones belonging to her
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
honeyedadjective
with honey added
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
imperativeadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈperətɪv/
requiring attention or action
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
interruptingverbUS /ˌɪntərˈʌptɪŋ/
-ing form of “interrupt” — make a break in
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
set down according to a plan
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
lengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈleŋθənd/
drawn out or made longer spatially
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
liftingverbUS /ˈlɪftɪŋ/
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
lingeringnounUS /ˈlɪŋɡərɪŋ/
the act of tarrying
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
for more time
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading That was in the forgotten, by some regretted, by many derided, nineties.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
ninetiesnounUS /ˈnaɪntiz/
the decade from 1890 to 1899
From this reading That was in the forgotten, by some regretted, by many derided, nineties.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
nursesnounUS /ˈnɜːrsəz/
plural of “nurse” — one skilled in caring for young children or the sick (usually under the supervision of a physician)
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
by chance
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
participate in games or sport
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
politelyadverbUS /pəˈlaɪtli/
in a polite manner
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
prepared and printed for distribution and sale
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
refrainedverbUS /rɪˈfreɪnd/
past form of “refrain” — resist doing something
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
regrettedverbUS /rɪˈɡretɪd/
inflected form of “regret” — feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
From this reading That was in the forgotten, by some regretted, by many derided, nineties.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
plural of “tone” — the quality of a person's voice
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
a source of difficulty
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
precisely as stated
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
someone who visits
From this reading Published September, 1923 FOREWORD A small boy coming down to the drawing-room at half-past five for the sacred hour of play, found a visitor absorbing his mother’s attention.
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading For five minutes or so he politely refrained from interrupting their conversation, and he wandered about the room, a little disconsolate perhaps, but in that state of being described by nurses as “not a bit of trouble.”
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
at the time that
From this reading When, however, the five minutes lengthened into ten, he felt that direct action of some sort was imperative.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading So he advanced upon the lingering guest, laid small, imperative hands upon her knee; and lifting an anxious face to hers, enquired in honeyed tones: “Is you going to stay very much longer?”
