used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
in the past
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
author'snounUS /ˈɔːθərz/
possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
bethinkverb
cause oneself to consider something
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
bidsnounUS /bɪdz/
plural of “bid” — an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
a young person of either sex
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
dearly loved
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
dedicateverbUS /ˈdedəkeɪt/
give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
faultsnounUS /fɔːlts/
plural of “fault” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
fosteredverbUS /ˈfɑːstərd/
past form of “foster” — promote the growth of
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
affected by an impairment of normal physical or mental function
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and generosity
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
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 Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
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 A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
mother'snounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
possessive form of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
offeringnounUS /ˈɔːfərɪŋ/
something offered (as a proposal or bid)
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
a person who requires medical care
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
SalutesnounUS /səˈluːts/
plural of “salute” — an act of honor or courteous recognition
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
express in speech
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
carry out
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
TardyadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːrdi/
after the expected or usual time; delayed
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The mother's child you fostered then Salutes you now and bids you take These little children of his pen And love them for the author's sake.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
an old word for “you”, as the subject, speaking to one person
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
UponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading To you I dedicate this book, And, as you read it line by line, Upon its faults as kindly look As you have always looked on mine.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
(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 Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
which person or people
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Go, little book, and if an one would speak thee ill, let him bethink him that thou art the child of one who loves thee well.
a late time of life
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
but in spite of that
From this reading Tardy the offering is and weak;-- Yet were I happy if I knew These children had the power to speak My love and gratitude to you.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading A dying mother gave to you Her child a many years ago; How in your gracious love he grew, You know, dear, patient heart, you know.
