used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the children.
(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 At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
AMBASSADORnounUS /æmˈbæsədər/
a diplomat of the highest rank; accredited as representative from one country to another
From this reading THE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the children.
bell-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
rid of obstructions
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
clusteringnounUS /ˈklʌstərɪŋ/
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading "So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the children.
costumesnounUS /kɑːˈstuːmz/
plural of “costume” — the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the children.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the children.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
eh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the children.
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading THE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY.
opinion or judgment
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
fairiesnounUS /ˈferiz/
plural of “fairy” — a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading "So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the children.
fantasticadjectiveUS /fænˈtæstɪk/
ludicrously odd
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
set up or found
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
incapableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkeɪpəbəl/
(followed by “of”) lacking capacity or ability
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
staying power
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
oddestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːdəst/
superlative of “odd” — not divisible by two
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
pigmies
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
by chance
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
quaintadjectiveUS /kweɪnt/
strange in an interesting or pleasing way
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading "So you don't believe in fairies, eh!" they cried, clustering about the children.
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
spindlenounUS /ˈspɪndəl/
(biology) tiny fibers that are seen in cell division; the fibers radiate from two poles and meet at the equator in the middle
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
supportingadjectiveUS /səˈpɔːrtɪŋ/
furnishing support and encouragement
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
very small
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
the upper part of anything
From this reading At the top of the ladder the children found themselves in the midst of a crowd of curious little pigmies, dressed in all sorts of quaint and fantastic costumes.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They spoke in a shrill, clear, bell-like voice, which, although they were such tiny creatures, could be heard distinctly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading They were the oddest little creatures that you can possibly imagine, with eyes and ears that seemed to be too big for their heads, and tiny little spindle legs that looked quite incapable of supporting their big bodies.
