used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
consider or hold as true
From this reading I pressed "Accept," too startled to take the lather from my face.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
any thing at all
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
a youthful male person
From this reading "Hurry it up, boy."
eat an early morning meal
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
calamitynounUS /kəˈlæməti/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
divertverbUS /daɪˈvɜːrt/
turn aside; turn away from
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I pressed "Accept," too startled to take the lather from my face.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
fundamentaladjectiveUS /ˌfʌndəˈmentəl/
serving as an essential component
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading "Hi, Gyp," George Kelly said to me from the screen.
GypnounUS /dʒɪp/
(sometimes offensive) an act of swindling or cheating
From this reading "Hi, Gyp," George Kelly said to me from the screen.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
HinounUS /haɪ/
an expression of greeting
From this reading "Hi, Gyp," George Kelly said to me from the screen.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading "Hurry it up, boy."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I pressed "Accept," too startled to take the lather from my face.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Hurry it up, boy."
KellynounUS /ˈkeli/
United States circus clown (1898-1979)
From this reading "Hi, Gyp," George Kelly said to me from the screen.
lathernounUS /ˈlæðər/
the froth produced by soaps or detergents
From this reading I pressed "Accept," too startled to take the lather from my face.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
compacted by ironing
From this reading I pressed "Accept," too startled to take the lather from my face.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
precisely, exactly
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Hi, Gyp," George Kelly said to me from the screen.
screennounUS /skriːn/
a white or silvered surface where pictures can be projected for viewing
From this reading "Hi, Gyp," George Kelly said to me from the screen.
shavingnounUS /ˈʃeɪvɪŋ/
the act of removing hair with a razor
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
showman's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading I pressed "Accept," too startled to take the lather from my face.
carry out
From this reading I pressed "Accept," too startled to take the lather from my face.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
in or at that place or location
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
a special situation
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They have orders not to call me before breakfast for anything less than a national calamity.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading I pressed "Accept," too startled to take the lather from my face.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
TV-phone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "Hurry it up, boy."
precisely as stated
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
you're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _There is something very fundamental indeed about the ancient showman's trick--divert their attention from the thing you're really doing ..._ The call on the TV-phone came right in the middle of my shaving.
