used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
a-sleeping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
(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 The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading You are speaking of your farms, you are speaking of your charms, You are speaking of your silver and gold; But a cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
domesticated bovine animals as a group regardless of sex or age
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
charmsnounUS /tʃɑːrmz/
plural of “charm” — attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates
From this reading You are speaking of your farms, you are speaking of your charms, You are speaking of your silver and gold; But a cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold.
clothing in general
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
couchnounUS /kaʊtʃ/
an upholstered seat for more than one person
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
cowboy'snounUS /ˈkaʊbɔɪz/
possessive form of “cowboy” — a hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
day'snounUS /deɪz/
possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
disturbverbUS /dɪˈstɜːrb/
move deeply
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
increase twofold
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
A series of thoughts, images, or emotions during sleep.
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
DreamingnounUS /ˈdriːmɪŋ/
imaginative thoughts indulged in while awake
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
drearyadjectiveUS /ˈdrɪri/
lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
farmsnounUS /fɑːrmz/
plural of “farm” — workplace consisting of farm buildings and cultivated land as a unit
From this reading You are speaking of your farms, you are speaking of your charms, You are speaking of your silver and gold; But a cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
frozenadjectiveUS /ˈfroʊzən/
turned into ice; affected by freezing or by long and severe cold
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
coins made of gold
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
He's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
herdnounUS /hɜːrd/
a group of cattle or sheep or other domestic mammals all of the same kind that are herded by humans
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
howlsnounUS /haʊlz/
plural of “howl” — a long loud emotional utterance
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
necksnounUS /neks/
plural of “neck” — the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
owlsnounUS /aʊlz/
plural of “owl” — nocturnal bird of prey with hawk-like beak and claws and large head with front-facing eyes
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
Pecosnoun
a tributary of the Rio Grande that flows southeastward from New Mexico through western Texas
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
rainyadjectiveUS /ˈreɪni/
(of weather) wet by periods of rain
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
possessing material wealth
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
only a very short time before
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
setsnounUS /sets/
plural of “set” — a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
slickersnounUS /ˈslɪkərz/
plural of “slicker” — a macintosh made from cotton fabric treated with oil and pigment to make it waterproof
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading You are speaking of your farms, you are speaking of your charms, You are speaking of your silver and gold; But a cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold.
Spring-time
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
terrifyingadjectiveUS /ˈterəfaɪɪŋ/
causing extreme terror
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
there's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
a source of difficulty
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
velvetnounUS /ˈvelvət/
a silky densely piled fabric with a plain back
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold; While the rich man's a-sleeping on his velvet couch, Dreaming of his silver and gold.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Spring-time sets in, double trouble will begin, The weather is so fierce and cold; Clothes are wet and frozen to our necks, The cattle we can scarcely hold.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
wolvesnounUS /wʊlvz/
plural of “wolf” — any of various predatory carnivorous canine mammals of North America and Eurasia that usually hunt in packs
From this reading The wolves and owls with their terrifying howls Will disturb us in our midnight dream, As we lie on our slickers on a cold, rainy night Way over on the Pecos stream.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading The cowboy's life is a dreary one, He works all day to the setting of the sun; And then his day's work is not done, For there's his night herd to go on.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You are speaking of your farms, you are speaking of your charms, You are speaking of your silver and gold; But a cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading You are speaking of your farms, you are speaking of your charms, You are speaking of your silver and gold; But a cowboy's life is a dreary, dreary life, He's driven through the heat and cold.
