used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
how long something has existed
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
alertlyadverbUS /əˈlɜːrtli/
in mentally perceptive and responsive way
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
Bessie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
chopverbUS /tʃɑːp/
cut into pieces
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
complainingadjectiveUS /kəmˈpleɪnɪŋ/
expressing pain or dissatisfaction of resentment
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
dishesnounUS /ˈdɪʃəz/
plural of “dish” — a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
farmhousenounUS /ˈfɑːrmhaʊs/
house for a farmer and family
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
start firing a weapon
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
a young female
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
HoovernounUS /ˈhuːvər/
United States industrialist who manufactured vacuum cleaners (1849-1932)
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
past form of “jump” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
a room equipped for preparing meals
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
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 Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
loafin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
a particular point in time
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
nervouslyadverbUS /ˈnɜːrvəsli/
in an anxiously nervous manner
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
sinkverbUS /sɪŋk/
fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
slatternlyadjective
characteristic of or befitting a slut or slattern; used especially of women
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment
From this reading She had come suddenly into the kitchen of the Hoover farmhouse and surprised Bessie King as the girl sat resting for a moment and reading.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
washedadjectiveUS /wɑːʃt/
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Bessie jumped up alertly at the sound of the voice she knew so well, and started nervously toward the sink.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading The voice was that of a slatternly woman of middle age, thin and complaining.
the hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
From this reading An' then you can go out and chop me some wood for the kitchen fire!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Now then, you, Bessie, quit your loafin' and get them dishes washed!
