used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
(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 "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading "I was caught neatly, wasn't I!" she proclaimed.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
cloakroomnounUS /ˈkloʊkruːm/
a private lounge off of a legislative chamber
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
ClownnounUS /klaʊn/
a rude or vulgar fool
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
defiantadjectiveUS /dɪˈfaɪənt/
boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Miss Pollard had rather spasms to judge from her face."
flocknounUS /flɑːk/
a church congregation guided by a pastor
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Miss Pollard had rather spasms to judge from her face."
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Miss Pollard had rather spasms to judge from her face."
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I was caught neatly, wasn't I!" she proclaimed.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
jauntyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɔːnti/
marked by up-to-dateness in dress and manners
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading Miss Pollard had rather spasms to judge from her face."
lambkins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
past form of “march” — march in a procession
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading Miss Pollard had rather spasms to judge from her face."
moodsnounUS /muːdz/
plural of “mood” — a characteristic (habitual or relatively temporary) state of feeling
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
neatlyadverbUS /ˈniːtli/
with neatness
From this reading "I was caught neatly, wasn't I!" she proclaimed.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
OpalnounUS /ˈoʊpəl/
a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
paradingverbUS /pərˈeɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “parade” — walk ostentatiously
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
PollardnounUS /ˈpɑːlərd/
a tree with limbs cut back to promote a more bushy growth of foliage
From this reading Miss Pollard had rather spasms to judge from her face."
proclaimedadjectiveUS /proʊˈkleɪmd/
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading "I was caught neatly, wasn't I!" she proclaimed.
on the contrary
From this reading Miss Pollard had rather spasms to judge from her face."
recklessadjectiveUS /ˈrekləs/
marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
an educational institution
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
spasmsnounUS /ˈspæzəmz/
plural of “spasm” — a painful and involuntary muscular contraction
From this reading Miss Pollard had rather spasms to judge from her face."
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The Sick Clown Opal turned up at school next morning in one of her most defiant and reckless moods.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "I was caught neatly, wasn't I!" she proclaimed.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I was caught neatly, wasn't I!" she proclaimed.
at the time that
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
in the company of; together with
From this reading She marched into the cloakroom with a jaunty "don't care" air, and immediately began to talk about the circus.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Never got such a surprise in my life as when you all came parading in like a flock of lambkins.
