1874
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
alphabetnounUS /ˈælfəbet/
a character set that includes letters and is used to write a language
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Ba, ba, black sheep, Have you any wool?
BanounUS /ˌbiːˈeɪ/
a soft silvery metallic element of the alkali earth group; found in barite
From this reading Ba, ba, black sheep, Have you any wool?
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Ba, ba, black sheep, Have you any wool?
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
brandynounUS /ˈbrændi/
distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice
From this reading "Wife, wife, bring brandy in a spoon, For our old sow is in a swoon."
take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
carrionnounUS /ˈkeriən/
the dead and rotting body of an animal; unfit for human food
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
anything that covers or conceals
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
crowverbUS /kroʊ/
dwell on with satisfaction
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Wife, wife, bring brandy in a spoon, For our old sow is in a swoon."
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
Haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Ba, ba, black sheep, Have you any wool?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Wife, wife, bring brandy in a spoon, For our old sow is in a swoon."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Wife, wife, bring brandy in a spoon, For our old sow is in a swoon."
attach a tag or label to
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
not caught with the senses or the mind
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
oaknounUS /oʊk/
the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
originallyadverbUS /ərˈɪdʒənəli/
in an original manner
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Wife, wife, bring brandy in a spoon, For our old sow is in a swoon."
have ownership or possession of
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
prepared and printed for distribution and sale
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
any spatial attributes (especially as defined by outline)
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
woolly usually horned ruminant mammal related to the goat
From this reading Ba, ba, black sheep, Have you any wool?
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
sowverbUS /saʊ/
place (seeds) in or on the ground for future growth
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
spoonnounUS /spuːn/
a piece of cutlery with a shallow bowl-shaped container and a handle; used to stir or serve or take up food
From this reading "Wife, wife, bring brandy in a spoon, For our old sow is in a swoon."
swoonverbUS /swuːn/
pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain
From this reading "Wife, wife, bring brandy in a spoon, For our old sow is in a swoon."
tailorverbUS /ˈteɪlər/
adjust to a specific need or market
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The tailor he shot and missed his mark, And shot his own sow quite through the heart.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading An alphabet of old friends originally published 1874; A carrion crow sat on an oak, Watching a tailor shape his cloak.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
woolnounUS /wʊl/
a fabric made from the hair of sheep
From this reading Ba, ba, black sheep, Have you any wool?
yonadjectiveUS /jɑːn/
distant but within sight (“yon” is dialectal)
From this reading "Wife, bring me my old bent bow, That I may shoot yon carrion crow."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Ba, ba, black sheep, Have you any wool?
