used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
how long something has existed
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
anticipationnounUS /ænˌtɪsəˈpeɪʃən/
an expectation
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
birthdaynounUS /ˈbɜːrθdeɪ/
an anniversary of the day on which a person was born (or the celebration of it)
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
bordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/
a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
Crewe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
deadlieradjectiveUS /ˈdedliər/
comparative of “deadly” — causing or capable of causing death
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
deliciousadjectiveUS /dɪˈlɪʃəs/
greatly pleasing or entertaining
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
take in solid food
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
ecstasynounUS /ˈekstəsi/
a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
an opposing military force
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
moving swiftly
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
hailedverbUS /heɪld/
past form of “hail” — praise vociferously
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
happiestadjectiveUS /ˈhæpiəst/
superlative of “happy” — enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading THE OLD HOME.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
insignificantadjectiveUS /ˌɪnsɪɡˈnjɪfɪkənt/
signifying nothing
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
in place of, or as an alternative to
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
junctionnounUS /ˈdʒʌŋkʃən/
the place where two or more things come together
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
knotsnounUS /nɑːts/
plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
immediately past
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
not any; not one
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading THE OLD HOME.
olderadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldər/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
precariousadjectiveUS /priˈkeriəs/
affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
retrospectnounUS /ˈretrəspekt/
contemplation of things past
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
Ringrose
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Harry Ringrose came of age on the happiest morning of his life.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
stationsnounUS /ˈsteɪʃənz/
(Roman Catholic Church) a devotion consisting of fourteen prayers said before a series of fourteen pictures or carvings representing successive incidents during Jesus' passage from Pilate's house to his crucifixion at Calvary
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE OLD HOME.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
Warrington
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
Westmoreland
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading Worn out by excitement, however, he lay down for a minute between Crewe and Warrington, and knew no more until the guard came to him at the little junction across the Westmoreland border.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He would be at home to eat his birthday breakfast after all; and half the night he sat awake in a long ecstasy of grateful retrospect and delicious anticipation, as one by one the familiar stations were hailed and left behind, each an older friend than the last, and each a deadlier enemy to sleep.
but in spite of that
From this reading He was on dry land at last, and flying north at fifty miles an hour instead of at some insignificant and yet precarious number of knots.
