Chapter II · Chapter 2

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

(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 But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

the lowest part of the musical range

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading It may be in de Winter time, and maybe in de Fall, _Roll dem bones_.

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

plural of “chord” — a straight line connecting two points on a curve

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

rid of obstructions

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

a small cube with 1 to 6 spots on the six faces; used in gambling to generate random numbers

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

half asleep

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

difficult to describe

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading It may be in de Winter time, and maybe in de Fall, _Roll dem bones_.

plural of “fatalist” — anyone who submits to the belief that they are powerless to change their destiny

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

compatibility in opinion and action

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

where you live at a particular time

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading It may be in de Winter time, and maybe in de Fall, _Roll dem bones_.

spin, wind, or twist together

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

the month following May and preceding July

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

the sound of laughing

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

characterized by a buoyant rhythm

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading It may be in de Winter time, and maybe in de Fall, _Roll dem bones_.

by chance

From this reading It may be in de Winter time, and maybe in de Fall, _Roll dem bones_.

deficient in amount or quality or extent

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

unhurried and relaxed

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

a league of teams that do not belong to a major league (especially baseball)

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

in a softened tone

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

no person; not anyone

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

arousing affect

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

-ing form of “retrieve” — get or find back; recover the use of

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

a small wave on the surface of a liquid

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

plural of “robin” — small Old World songbird with a reddish breast

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

move by turning over or rotating

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

used of skin roughened as a result of cold or exposure

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

to grasp hastily or eagerly

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

not circulating or flowing

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

sweep across or over

From this reading I heard the muted fall Of dice, then the assured, Retrieving sweep of hand on roughened board.

the adult male singing voice above baritone

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

in or at that place or location

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading It may be in de Winter time, and maybe in de Fall, _Roll dem bones_.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)

From this reading A mellow laugh came rippling Across the stagnant air, Lifting it into little waves of life.

interlace by or as if by weaving

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

at the time that

From this reading Then, true and clear, I caught a snatch of harmony; Sure lilting tenor, and a drowsing bass, Elusive chords to weave and interlace, And poignant little minors, broken short, Like robins calling June-- And then the tune: "Oh, nobody knows when de Lord is goin ter call, _Roll dem bones_.

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading It may be in de Winter time, and maybe in de Fall, _Roll dem bones_.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But yer got ter leabe yer baby an yer home an all-- _So roll dem bones_, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, Oh my brudder, _Roll dem bones!_" There they squatted, gambling away Their meagre pay; Fatalists all.