used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
third-person singular of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE LAST DAY WITH THE PEASANTS.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't understand you, Ned."
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
start firing a weapon
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
GabrielnounUS /ˈɡeɪbriəl/
(Bible) the archangel who was the messenger of God
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't understand you, Ned."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
immediately past
From this reading THE LAST DAY WITH THE PEASANTS.
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 That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
millverbUS /mɪl/
move about in a confused manner
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
Ned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
PEASANTSnounUS /ˈpezənts/
plural of “peasant” — a country person
From this reading THE LAST DAY WITH THE PEASANTS.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
a painful emotion resulting from an awareness of inadequacy or guilt
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading "In making that mill and press for the peasants, you have certainly done some good."
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LAST DAY WITH THE PEASANTS.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
a special situation
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
know and comprehend the nature or meaning of
From this reading "I don't understand you, Ned."
precisely as stated
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
hope for; have a wish
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE LAST DAY WITH THE PEASANTS.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "If so, I am surely glad of it; but I thought it was a shame for people to work after such a fashion as they were doing, and, since I have heard Gabriel, I wish I could do more."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading That night, as the boys sat around their fire, Ned observed, "Walter, it appears to me that you have done the very thing you have been talking about so long."
