used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A VERY EXCITING WINTER EVENING.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
acquaintancesnounUS /əˈkweɪntənsɪz/
plural of “acquaintance” — personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
BentonnounUS /ˈbentən/
United States artist whose paintings portrayed life in the Midwest and South (1889-1975)
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
an occurrence of something
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
cousinsnounUS /ˈkʌzənz/
plural of “cousin” — the child of your aunt or uncle
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
DeaconnounUS /ˈdiːkən/
a Protestant layman who assists the minister
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
donationnounUS /doʊˈneɪʃən/
a voluntary gift (as of money or service or ideas) made to some worthwhile cause
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading A VERY EXCITING WINTER EVENING.
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
EXCITINGadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading A VERY EXCITING WINTER EVENING.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
a social unit living together
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
Farnham's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
JoshuanounUS /ˈdʒɑːʃuːə/
(Old Testament) Moses' successor who led the Israelites into the Promised Land; best remembered for his destruction of Jericho
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
meeting-house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
mill-pond
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
the light of the Moon
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
orphansnounUS /ˈɔːrfənz/
plural of “orphan” — a child who has lost both parents
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
sensationaladjectiveUS /senˈseɪʃənəl/
causing intense interest, curiosity, or emotion
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
skating-race
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Now came the altogether sensational affair of the moonlight skating-race on the mill-pond, and something had got to be done.
spelling-match
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
spendingnounUS /ˈspendɪŋ/
the act of spending or disbursing money
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
Susie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
precisely as stated
From this reading A VERY EXCITING WINTER EVENING.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Susie and Port had made some acquaintances at the donation, and some at the spelling-match, and some at the meeting-house; but people had not exactly made up their minds what to do about them.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Some had said at first that they were there for their health, and some that they were orphans and had come to stay; but the facts of the case got around after a while.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading A VERY EXCITING WINTER EVENING.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The people of Benton valley and village had not been ignorant of the fact that Deacon Joshua Farnham's family had some city cousins spending the winter with them.
