Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

(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 And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

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

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

having undesirable or negative qualities

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

completely unclothed

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

at or toward the back of something

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

in addition to; as well as

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

a structural member used to stiffen a framework

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

plural of “crack” — a long narrow opening

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

a social unit living together

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

provide as food

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

plural of “fern” — any of numerous flowerless and seedless vascular plants having true roots from a rhizome and fronds that uncurl upward; reproduce by spores

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

having a surface without slope, tilt in which no part is higher or lower than another

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

recently made, produced, or harvested

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

only a very short time before

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

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

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

common Old World heath represented by many varieties; low evergreen grown widely in the northern hemisphere

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

advanced in complexity or elaboration

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

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

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

jump lightly

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

be the source of pain

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

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

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

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

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

in place of, or as an alternative to

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

a woman who is a native or inhabitant of Ireland

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

and nothing more

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

drive or propel with the foot

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

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 So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

plural of “ledge” — a projecting ridge on a mountain or submerged under water

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

a sedimentary rock consisting mainly of calcium that was deposited by the remains of marine animals

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

secure in or as if in a berth or dock

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

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

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

above and across; more than

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

plural of “patch” — a small contrasting part of something

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

plural of “pavement” — the paved surface of a thoroughfare

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

concerned with actual use or practice

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

Identical; not different.

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

plural of “spider” — predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

elastic; rebounds readily

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

not in physical motion

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

express in words

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

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

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

in an acceptable (but not outstanding) manner

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

male cat

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

not given to gentleness or sentimentality

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading But he went more and more slowly as he got higher up the hill; for now the ground grew very bad indeed.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

precisely as stated

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

close enough to be walked to

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

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

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

clean with some chemical process

From this reading And, besides, she was the mother of a family, and had seven little poults to wash and feed every day; and that made her very practical, and a little sharp-tempered; so all she answered was: “Kick-kick-kick—go and catch spiders, go and catch spiders—kick.”

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

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

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

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

which person or people

From this reading What would Tom have said if he had seen, walking over the moor behind him, the very same Irishwoman who had taken his part upon the road?

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading So Tom went on and on, he hardly knew why; but he liked the great wide strange place, and the cool fresh bracing air.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading Instead of soft turf and springy heather, he met great patches of flat limestone rock, just like ill-made pavements, with deep cracks between the stones and ledges, filled with ferns; so he had to hop from stone to stone, and now and then he slipped in between, and hurt his little bare toes, though they were tolerably tough ones; but still he would go on and up, he could not tell why.