Chapter III

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

the act of harassing someone

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

the act of overcoming or outdoing

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

according with custom or propriety

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

East Indian annual erect herb; source of sesame seed or benniseed and sesame oil

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

ill-mannered and coarse and contemptible in behavior or appearance

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

taking care or paying attention

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

of textures that are rough to the touch or substances consisting of relatively large particles

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

unvarying in nature

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

past form of “elbow” — push one's way with the elbows

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

divisible by two

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

plural of “fault” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

willing to give and share unstintingly

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

past form of “jostle” — make one's way by jostling, pushing, or shoving

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

and nothing more

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

having an unusually loud voice

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

the force of workers available

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

dutifully complying with the commands or instructions of those in authority

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

above and across; more than

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

unique or specific to a person or thing or category

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

a small contrasting part of something

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

plural of “picker” — a person who chooses or selects out

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

the quantity of a crop that is harvested

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

with little or no delay

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

beyond or deviating from the usual or expected

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

having or caused by an irregular surface

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

bend one's back forward from the waist on down

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

sweet fleshy red fruit

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

confined on all sides

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

the act of harassing someone playfully or maliciously (especially by ridicule); provoking someone with persistent annoyances

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

having intellectual depth

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

caused to fall to the ground

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

expressing or given to expressing the truth

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

employed in accomplishing something

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

precisely as stated

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

plural of “vine” — a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

shrewish and malicious

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading AMONG THE PICKERS Benny was not a saint by any means.

exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading He was just as full of faults as many other boys, but he had a warm, generous heart, and had been carefully brought up, so, even if he was not always as thoughtful as he might be, and sometimes forgot to be promptly obedient, he was at least truthful, honest, and pure in heart, a fact which made the boys in his neighborhood call him “old Particular,” or “old Partick” for short.

which person or people

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

in the company of; together with

From this reading He was used to pretty rough company sometimes, but he had never been thrown with quite such a crowd as that which surrounded him in the strawberry patch.

plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading It was not very pleasant work to stoop over the vines with the sun beating down on his head, and his fingers becoming weary of the constant picking.

used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father

From this reading Coarse, boorish men, vixenish, loud-voiced women, who jostled and elbowed him at times, the younger ones teasing and badgering him in queer broken English.