used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
baint
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
ChapmannounUS /ˈtʃæpmən/
United States pioneer who planted apple trees as he traveled (1774-1845)
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
conferencenounUS /ˈkɑːnfərəns/
a prearranged meeting for consultation or exchange of information or discussion (especially one with a formal agenda)
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
extensiveadjectiveUS /ɪkˈstensɪv/
large in spatial extent or range or scope or quantity
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
a boy or man
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
gauntadjectiveUS /ɡɔːnt/
very thin especially from disease or hunger or cold
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
gins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
gnawingverbUS /ˈnɔːɪŋ/
-ing form of “gnaw” — bite or chew on with the teeth
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
Griff
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
keepernounUS /ˈkiːpər/
someone in charge of other people
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
louderadjectiveUS /ˈlaʊdər/
comparative of “loud” — characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
mandarinnounUS /ˈmændərən/
shrub or small tree having flattened globose fruit with very sweet aromatic pulp and thin yellow-orange to flame-orange rind that is loose and easily removed; native to southeastern Asia
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
not any; not one
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
preservesnounUS /prəˈzɜːrvz/
fruit preserved by cooking with sugar
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
RATSnounUS /ræts/
plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading RATS.
relieve from
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
inspiring scornful pity
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
a disassembled barrel; the parts packed for storage or shipment
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
term of address for a man
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
SOUTHEYnoun
English poet and friend of Wordsworth and Coleridge (1774-1843)
From this reading SOUTHEY.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading ‘As louder and louder, drawing near, The gnawing of their teeth he could hear.’
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
in or at that place or location
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
trapnounUS /træp/
a device in which something (usually an animal) can be caught and penned
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
varmintnounUS /ˈvɑːrmɪnt/
an irritating or obnoxious person
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
precisely as stated
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
which person or people
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
in the company of; together with
From this reading ‘WHAT a ridiculous old fellow that Chapman is,’ said Griff, coming in from a conference with the gaunt old man who acted as keeper to our not very extensive preserves.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘I told him to get some gins for the rats in my rooms, and he shook his absurd head like any mandarin, and said, “There baint no trap as will rid you of them kind of varmint, sir.”’
