used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
(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 THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading So without any fear the elephant began his story.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
subject to appointment
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
awakenverbUS /əˈweɪkən/
cause to become awake or conscious
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading So without any fear the elephant began his story.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
cagesnounUS /ˈkeɪdʒɪz/
plural of “cage” — an enclosure made or wire or metal bars in which birds or animals can be kept
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
circusnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəs/
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
dearly loved
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
recognizable; marked
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
elephantnounUS /ˈeləfənt/
five-toed pachyderm
From this reading So without any fear the elephant began his story.
ELEPHANT'SnounUS /ˈeləfənts/
possessive form of “elephant” — five-toed pachyderm
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
elephantsnounUS /ˈeləfənts/
plural of “elephant” — five-toed pachyderm
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
being one more than ten
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading So without any fear the elephant began his story.
fiftiethadjectiveUS /ˈfɪftiɪθ/
the ordinal number of fifty in counting order
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
set up or found
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading So without any fear the elephant began his story.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
ten 10s
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
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 The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
and nothing more
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
with little or no delay
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
on the contrary
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
sleepernounUS /ˈsliːpər/
a rester who is sleeping
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So without any fear the elephant began his story.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
speakernounUS /ˈspiːkər/
someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
surroundingadjectiveUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋ/
closely encircling
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
express in words
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
precisely as stated
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
watchmannounUS /ˈwɑːtʃmən/
a guard who keeps watch
From this reading And the night watchman being such a sound sleeper, their conversation did not awaken him.
WednesdaynounUS /ˈwenzdi/
the fourth day of the week; the third working day
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE ELEPHANT’S STORY The next night being Wednesday, the day they had decided to have their Club meeting, all the animals that had joined the club appeared promptly at the appointed hour, which was eleven thirty, in the middle of the circus tent.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading So without any fear the elephant began his story.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading This tent being rather small and very quiet at that hour of the night, it was found that all the animals in the cages surrounding the ring could hear plainly every word the speaker said.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The Elephant’s Story “Dear friends, I am about to tell you not only the story of my life which will seem a long one to you, as I am in my two hundred and fiftieth year, but many things about elephants.
