used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
accountsnounUS /əˈkaʊnts/
plural of “account” — a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
anew
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
allowancenounUS /əˈlaʊəns/
an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
book-keeper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
a youthful male person
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
the body of faculty and students of a college
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
earnverbUS /ɜːrn/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
divisible by two
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
an act that fails
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
father'snounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
possessive form of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
financialadjectiveUS /fəˈnænʃəl/
involving financial matters
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
an established custom
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
holidaysnounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪz/
plural of “holiday” — leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
irregularadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈreɡjələr/
contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
conformity or harmony
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
immediately past
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
memorandanounUS /ˌmemərˈændə/
a written proposal or reminder
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
ownedadjectiveUS /oʊnd/
having an owner; often used in combination
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
pocket-money
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
satisfactoryadjectiveUS /ˌsætəˈsfæktri/
giving satisfaction
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
satisfyverbUS /ˈsætəsfaɪ/
meet the requirements or expectations of
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
depleted of energy, force, or strength
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
sumsnounUS /sʌmz/
plural of “sum” — a quantity of money
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It may seem strange that a man of my character should keep books of account.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Father gave me money at irregular intervals, and allowed me to earn small sums, but he never made me a regular allowance of pocket-money at any time.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
precisely as stated
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
at the time that
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
in or at the place that
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
which person or people
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading Then again, even as a small boy, I had always spent several weeks of my summer holidays in father’s office, where I passed my time with the head book-keeper, who, when not too busy, was a kindly man, willing to satisfy my curiosity about the huge books he kept; so that before I went to college, I had a working idea of the art of keeping accounts.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading When I asked him for money, he always asked me what had become of the last money I had owned, and failure to give a satisfactory account would cut off supply for a few days.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading But the habit of keeping a financial memoranda had been formed when I was very young; in my first pocket-money days, in fact.
