used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
the sister of your father or mother; the wife of your uncle
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
a seat for one person, with a support for the back
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
-ing form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
guessingnounUS /ˈɡesɪŋ/
an estimate based on little or no information
From this reading Was he guessing my thoughts--was he understanding?
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Was he guessing my thoughts--was he understanding?
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
melodynounUS /ˈmelədi/
a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
on one occasion
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
PenelopenounUS /pəˈneləpi/
(Greek mythology) the wife of Odysseus and a symbol of devotion and fidelity; for 10 years while Odysseus fought the Trojan War she resisted numerous suitors until Odysseus returned and killed them
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
plural of “pocket” — a small pouch inside a garment for carrying small articles
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
pretendedadjectiveUS /priˈtendɪd/
adopted in order to deceive
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
in a swift manner
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Was he guessing my thoughts--was he understanding?
push forcefully
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
two times
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
the cognitive condition of someone who understands
From this reading Was he guessing my thoughts--was he understanding?
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
Vernon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From time to time I could not help glancing at Vernon.
precisely as stated
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
Wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Was he guessing my thoughts--was he understanding?
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While Aunt Penelope talked my heart beat very hard.
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading Once or twice he whistled a little, he whistled a bar of a popular melody; then he thrust his hands into his pockets, turned swiftly round, took up a newspaper, flung himself into a chair, and pretended to read.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He stood with his back to us, looking out of the window.
