used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
alack
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
alasexclamationUS /əˈlæs/
used to show sadness, pity, or regret
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
(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 But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
any thing at all
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
bagpipesnounUS /ˈbæɡpaɪps/
plural of “bagpipe” — a tubular wind instrument; the player blows air into a bag and squeezes it out through the drone
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
inflected form of “blow” — exhale hard
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
cownounUS /kaʊ/
female of domestic cattle: "“moo-cow” is a child's term"
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
made afraid
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
instrumentnounUS /ˈɪnstrəmənt/
a device that requires skill for proper use
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
immediately past
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
in order that something should not happen
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
engage in
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
the most common medium of exchange; functions as legal tender
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
a form of address for a man
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
musiciannounUS /mjuːˈzɪʃən/
someone who plays a musical instrument (as a profession)
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading So the musician walked off with the red cow, and Mr. Vinegar tried to play the bagpipes.
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
participate in games or sport
From this reading So the musician walked off with the red cow, and Mr. Vinegar tried to play the bagpipes.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
repentverbUS /rɪˈpent/
turn away from sin or do penitence
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
screechnounUS /skriːtʃ/
a high-pitched noise resembling a human cry
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
simpletonnoun
a person lacking intelligence or common sense
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
squealverbUS /skwiːl/
utter a high-pitched cry, characteristic of pigs
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
carry out
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
terrificadjectiveUS /tərˈɪfɪk/
very great or intense
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
up to a particular time
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading So the musician walked off with the red cow, and Mr. Vinegar tried to play the bagpipes.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
VinegarnounUS /ˈvɪnəɡər/
sour-tasting liquid produced usually by oxidation of the alcohol in wine or cider and used as a condiment or food preservative
From this reading "Done!" cried Mr. Vinegar in a hurry, lest the man should repent of his offer.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading So the musician walked off with the red cow, and Mr. Vinegar tried to play the bagpipes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "Well," replied the musician, seeing he was a simpleton, "it is a beautiful instrument, and I make so much money by it, that I cannot take anything less than that red cow."
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
used to ask for information about something
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
at the time that
From this reading But, alas and alack! though he blew till he almost burst, not a sound could he make at first, and when he did at last, it was such a terrific squeal and screech that all the children ran away frightened, and the people stopped their ears.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
in the company of; together with
From this reading So the musician walked off with the red cow, and Mr. Vinegar tried to play the bagpipes.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading So he went up to the musician and said, "What will you take for your bagpipes?"
