used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
ceasingverbUS /ˈsiːsɪŋ/
-ing form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
a pair who associate with one another
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
fliesnounUS /flaɪz/
(theater) the space over the stage (out of view of the audience) used to store scenery (drop curtains)
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
gnatsnounUS /næts/
plural of “gnat” — any of various small biting flies: midges; biting midges; black flies; sand flies
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
ten 10s
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
I've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
kinksnounUS /kɪŋks/
plural of “kink” — a painful muscle spasm especially in the neck or back (“rick” and “wrick” are British)
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
loftnounUS /lɔːft/
floor consisting of a large unpartitioned space over a factory or warehouse or other commercial space
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
mid-Junenoun
the middle part of June
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
mosquitonounUS /məˈskiːtoʊ/
two-winged insect whose female has a long proboscis to pierce the skin and suck the blood of humans and animals
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
nettingnounUS /ˈnetɪŋ/
a net of transparent fabric with a loose open weave
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
paintverbUS /peɪnt/
make a painting
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
rigverbUS /rɪɡ/
arrange the outcome of by means of deceit
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
slap-slap
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
stableadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪbəl/
resistant to change of position or condition
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
straighteningverbUS /ˈstreɪtənɪŋ/
-ing form of “straighten” — straighten up or out; make straight
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
the rays of the sun
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
swingingnounUS /ˈswɪŋɪŋ/
changing location by moving back and forth
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
that's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
there'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I’ve picked off a couple of hundred this morning, I guess.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
male cat
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
WILLARDnounUS /ˈwɪlərd/
United States advocate of temperance and women's suffrage (1839-1898)
From this reading WILLARD GOES ON STRIKE “I’m afraid,” observed Willard, laying his brush down and straightening some of the kinks from his back, “that there’ll be more gnats and flies on here than paint.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading “They are pretty bad, and that’s a fact,” agreed Tom without ceasing the slap-slap of his brush.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Wonder how it would do to rig a mosquito netting over us, Tom.”
a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading They were in the stable loft, with the swinging doors wide open and the little back yard and garden spread beneath them in the hot sunshine of a mid-June day.
