used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
AfricanadjectiveUS /ˈæfrəkən/
of or relating to the nations of Africa or their peoples
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
in the past
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
(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 He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
animal-baby
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
ChunkyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃʌŋki/
like or containing small sticky lumps
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not mind the mud in the river.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
far-offadjective
very far away in space or time
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
huntersnounUS /ˈhʌntərz/
plural of “hunter” — someone who hunts game
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
be the source of pain
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
lionsnounUS /ˈlaɪənz/
plural of “lion” — large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
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 Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
by chance
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading He did not mind the mud in the river.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
water soaked soil; soft wet earth
From this reading He did not mind the mud in the river.
muddyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌdi/
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
not any; not one
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
on one occasion
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
by chance
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
on the contrary
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
To recall to mind.
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
swamverbUS /swæm/
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
tigersnounUS /ˈtaɪɡərz/
a terrorist organization in Sri Lanka that began in 1970 as a student protest over the limited university access for Tamil students
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading And Chunky did not want any of the lions or tigers, or perhaps the black African hunters to see him, for they might have hurt him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
at the time that
From this reading He rather liked it, for when he sank away down under the dark, brown water no one could see him.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading He was not a fish, though he could stay under water, not breathing at all, for maybe ten minutes, and that is why he swam in the muddy river so much.
a late time of life
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Once upon a time, some years ago, but not so long that you could not easily remember if you tried, there lived in a muddy river of a far-off country called Africa, a great, big, animal-baby named “Chunky.”
