used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading Some may ask why I committed such a rash act.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Some may ask why I committed such a rash act.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
for the reason that
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
maintain with or as if with a bet
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
bluffnounUS /blʌf/
a high steep bank (usually formed by river erosion)
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
chicken-heart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading O, you chicken-heart, ha, ha!”
the time of person's life when they are a child
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
classmatesnounUS /ˈklæsmeɪts/
plural of “classmate” — an acquaintance that you go to school with
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading Some may ask why I committed such a rash act.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
apart from; not including
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
a contest with rules to determine a winner
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
grammarnounUS /ˈɡræmər/
the branch of linguistics that deals with syntax and morphology (and sometimes also deals with semantics)
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing; the right ascension for an observer at a particular location and time of day
From this reading O, you chicken-heart, ha, ha!”
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
hereditaryadjectiveUS /hərˈedəteri/
occurring among members of a family usually by heredity
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
I'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
jokingadjectiveUS /ˈdʒoʊkɪŋ/
characterized by jokes and good humor
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
jumpverbUS /dʒʌmp/
move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
jumpingnounUS /ˈdʒʌmpɪŋ/
the act of participating in an athletic competition in which you must jump
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
set down according to a plan
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Some may ask why I committed such a rash act.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
newly-built
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
not any; not one
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading O, you chicken-heart, ha, ha!”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
on one occasion
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
rashnounUS /ræʃ/
any red eruption of the skin
From this reading Some may ask why I committed such a rash act.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
recklessnessnounUS /ˈrekləsnəs/
the trait of giving little thought to danger
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
express in words
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
an educational institution
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Because of an hereditary recklessness, I have been playing always a losing game since my childhood.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some may ask why I committed such a rash act.
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 During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Some may ask why I committed such a rash act.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
a special situation
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading During my grammar school days, I was once laid up for about a week by jumping from the second story of the school building.
at the time that
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading Some may ask why I committed such a rash act.
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 There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading There was no particular reason for doing such a thing except I happened to be looking out into the yard from the second floor of the newly-built school house, when one of my classmates, joking, shouted at me; “Say, you big bluff, I’ll bet you can’t jump down from there!
