adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Some of you, too, have been to "Pageants," and some may even have been to an oratorio, which last may have been sung in a church.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
breadthnounUS /bredθ/
the capacity to understand a broad range of topics
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But did you ever wonder how plays and theaters came to be?
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But did you ever wonder how plays and theaters came to be?
churchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading Some of you, too, have been to "Pageants," and some may even have been to an oratorio, which last may have been sung in a church.
comedynounUS /ˈkɑːmədi/
light and humorous drama with a happy ending
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
cryverbUS /kraɪ/
utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But did you ever wonder how plays and theaters came to be?
doubtnounUS /daʊt/
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading But did you ever wonder how plays and theaters came to be?
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But did you ever wonder how plays and theaters came to be?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Some of you, too, have been to "Pageants," and some may even have been to an oratorio, which last may have been sung in a church.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
landnounUS /lænd/
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading Some of you, too, have been to "Pageants," and some may even have been to an oratorio, which last may have been sung in a church.
laughnounUS /læf/
the sound of laughing
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
leftnounUS /left/
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
MANYadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
merryadjectiveUS /ˈmeri/
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
oratorionounUS /ˌɑːrəˈtɔːrioʊ/
a musical composition for voices and orchestra based on a religious text
From this reading Some of you, too, have been to "Pageants," and some may even have been to an oratorio, which last may have been sung in a church.
PageantsnounUS /ˈpædʒənts/
plural of “pageant” — an elaborate representation of scenes from history etc; usually involves a parade with rich costumes
From this reading Some of you, too, have been to "Pageants," and some may even have been to an oratorio, which last may have been sung in a church.
PanverbUS /pæn/
make a sweeping movement
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
pantomimes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
perhapsadverbUS /pərˈhæps/
by chance
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
PeternounUS /ˈpiːtər/
disciple of Jesus and leader of the Apostles; regarded by Catholics as the vicar of Christ on earth and first Pope
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
playverbUS /pleɪ/
participate in games or sport
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
playsnounUS /pleɪz/
plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading But did you ever wonder how plays and theaters came to be?
sadadjectiveUS /sæd/
experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
ShakespearenounUS /ˈʃeɪkspiːr/
English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
SomeadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some of you, too, have been to "Pageants," and some may even have been to an oratorio, which last may have been sung in a church.
sungnounUS /sʌŋ/
the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy
From this reading Some of you, too, have been to "Pageants," and some may even have been to an oratorio, which last may have been sung in a church.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
theaternounUS /ˈθiːətər/
a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
theatersnounUS /ˈθiːətərz/
plural of “theater” — a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading But did you ever wonder how plays and theaters came to be?
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
tooadverbUS /tuː/
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
tragedynounUS /ˈtrædʒədi/
an event resulting in great loss and misfortune
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
wantverbUS /wɑːnt/
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Did you ever think that there was a time when in all the length and breadth of the land there was no theater, when there were no plays either merry or sad?
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading You have seen pantomimes and Peter Pan, perhaps; perhaps, too, a play of Shakespeare, - a comedy, it may be, which made you laugh, or even a tragedy which made you want to cry, or at least left you sad.
wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading But did you ever wonder how plays and theaters came to be?
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading MANY of you have, no doubt, been to the theater.
