used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
abodenounUS /əˈboʊd/
any address at which you dwell more than temporarily
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
agedadjectiveUS /eɪdʒd/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
alasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
AlbertnounUS /ˈælbərt/
prince consort of Queen Victoria of England (1819-1861)
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
(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 Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
attendancenounUS /əˈtendəns/
the act of being present (at a meeting or event etc.)
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
made or become different in nature or form
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
disusenounUS /dɪˈsjuːs/
the state of something that has been unused and neglected
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
Four-Legs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
fussverbUS /fʌs/
worry unnecessarily or excessively
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
insolentadjectiveUS /ˈɪnsələnt/
marked by casual disrespect
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
kennelnounUS /ˈkenəl/
outbuilding that serves as a shelter for a dog
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
languidadjectiveUS /ˈlæŋɡwəd/
lacking spirit or liveliness
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
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 True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
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 There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
Maudie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
Monster-without-Manners
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
and nothing more
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
patheticadjectiveUS /pəˈθetɪk/
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
rustyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌsti/
covered with or consisting of rust
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/
have in common; held or experienced in common
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading She lay in the sun on a step on the ladder, languid, insolent, concerned only for herself.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
the upper part of anything
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
Two-Legs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
UnspeakableadjectiveUS /ənˈspiːkəbəl/
defying expression or description
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading True the kennel beneath the ladder was empty now, and had a rusty and pathetic air as of long disuse; but the Monster-without-Manners was not dead, alas!--he had but changed his abode.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were many such Four-Legs about, each as a rule with a small Two-Legs in attendance or on top.
which person or people
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Now and for some years past the Great Unspeakable had shared a kennel with the Four-Legs-Who-Might-Not-Walk-Alone; the one who there was all this foolish fuss about.
a late time of life
From this reading Albert Edward Four years had passed; but Maudie had not changed or aged.
