used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
(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 “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
go after with the intent to catch
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
recognizable; marked
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading So we did.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
DOUGHNUTSnounUS /ˈdoʊnʌts/
plural of “doughnut” — a toroidal shape
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
explainingverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪnɪŋ/
-ing form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
plural of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
a large number or amount
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
precisely, exactly
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
shinned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
Steve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading So Chase shinned a tree on a hill and had a look around and said he could see this building plainly about two miles away.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
we'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading DOUGHNUTS IN THE RAIN “Why, Sam, we took a chance,” Steve Brown was explaining a few minutes later.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading And we decided that if we were to beat you fellows to it we’d better cut across lots.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I got your message all right, but that road didn’t look good to me.
