used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
having fair knowledge of
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
(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 His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
blacksmithnounUS /ˈblæksmɪθ/
a smith who forges and shapes iron with a hammer and anvil
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
a youthful male person
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
being one more than seventeen
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
every person
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
experiencesnounUS /ɪkˈspɪriənsɪz/
plural of “experience” — the accumulation of knowledge or skill that results from direct participation in events or activities
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
be a farmer; work as a farmer
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
foolingadjectiveUS /ˈfuːlɪŋ/
characterized by a feeling of irresponsibility
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
(of animals) fully developed
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
go away from a place
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
not any; not one
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
OhionounUS /oʊˈhaɪoʊ/
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
PikenounUS /paɪk/
a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
PitchernounUS /ˈpɪtʃər/
(baseball) the person who does the pitching
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
more desirable than another
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
on the contrary
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
an educational institution
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
shiftverbUS /ʃɪft/
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
make square
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
express a supposition
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
express in words
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
a special situation
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
Track'snounUS /træks/
possessive form of “track” — a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
weaklingnounUS /ˈwiːklɪŋ/
a person who is physically weak and ineffectual
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
at the time that
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
in or at the place that
From this reading I was brought up in Ohio, where my father was a country blacksmith and had a small farm.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
William
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading His name was William Pitcher, but, being well liked by all and a square man, everybody called him Old Bill Pitcher.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading I liked school well enough, but rather preferred horses; and a pen seems to me a small thing for a grown man, which I am now, to be fooling around with, but I mean to tell (with a little help) of some experiences I had the first winter after I struck out for myself.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Something about my Home and Track's End: with how I leave the one and get acquainted with Pike at the other.
a late time of life
From this reading When I left home to shift for myself I was eighteen years old, and, I suppose, no weakling; though it seems to me now that I was a mere boy.
