used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
the state of being absent
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
(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 "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
react verbally
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
a person who is in charge
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
comingsnounUS /ˈkʌmɪŋz/
plural of “coming” — the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
disappearingnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪrɪŋ/
the act of leaving secretly or without explanation
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
being one more than seven
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
a military campaign designed to achieve a specific objective in a foreign country
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
the act of giving
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
goingsnounUS /ˈɡoʊɪŋz/
plural of “going” — the act of departing
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
Jane
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
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 Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
LullverbUS /lʌl/
calm by deception
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
MicknounUS /mɪk/
(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Irish descent
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
MOURNERnounUS /ˈmɔːrnər/
a person who is feeling grief (as grieving over someone who has died)
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
Niel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
not any; not one
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
many times at short intervals
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
and nothing more
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
PatsynounUS /ˈpætsi/
a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
Patsy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
puzzleverbUS /ˈpʌzəl/
be a mystery or bewildering to
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
shoppingnounUS /ˈʃɑːpɪŋ/
searching for or buying goods or services
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
spoilverbUS /spɔɪl/
make a mess of, destroy or ruin
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
telled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
that'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
UntilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading A CHIEF MOURNER Some time after the death of Uncle Niel, Patsy's ways began to puzzle the others.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading About a week after this Lull took them into town, eight miles away, on a shopping expedition.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
at the time that
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
in or at the place that
From this reading Mick and Jane asked him one day where he went so often by himself, but his answer only made them more curious.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Until then they had always been quite open with each other about their comings and goings, but Patsy took to disappearing for a whole day at a time, giving no reason when he came home at night for his long absence.
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
ye'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If I telled ye," he said, "ye'd all come, an' that'd spoil it."
