used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
(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 She begins, let all be still!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading She begins, let all be still!
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
brought into existence
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
caresnounUS /kerz/
plural of “care” — the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
designedadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪnd/
done or made or performed with purpose and intent
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
ExertverbUS /ɪɡˈzɜːrt/
put to use
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
harbingernounUS /ˈhɑːrbɪndʒər/
something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
a polite name for any woman
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
laysnounUS /leɪz/
plural of “lay” — a narrative song with a recurrent refrain
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
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 Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading She begins, let all be still!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
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 Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
molestverbUS /məˈlest/
harass or assault sexually; make indecent advances to
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
a particular point in time
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
NIGHTINGALEnounUS /ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪl/
European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
PleasingadjectiveUS /ˈpliːzɪŋ/
giving pleasure and satisfaction
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
poet'snounUS /ˈpoʊəts/
possessive form of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
PoetsnounUS /ˈpoʊəts/
plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
an expression of approval and commendation
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She begins, let all be still!
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
deliver by singing
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
singsverbUS /sɪŋz/
third-person singular of “sing” — deliver by singing
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
a short musical composition with words
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
SoothingadjectiveUS /ˈsuːðɪŋ/
affording physical relief
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
the season of growth
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
not in physical motion
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
the fifth day of the week; the fourth working day
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
an old word for “yours”
From this reading Free as thine shall be my song; As thy music, short, or long.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
thornnounUS /θɔːrn/
something that causes irritation and annoyance
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
an old word for “your”, speaking to one person
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading This moment is thy time to sing, This moment I attend to praise, And set my numbers to thy lays.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
unconfinedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnkənˈfaɪnd/
not confined
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
at the time that
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading Poets, wild as thee, were born, Pleasing best when unconfined, When to please is least designed, Soothing but their cares to rest; Cares do still their thoughts molest, And still th' unhappy poet's breast, Like thine, when best he sings, is placed against a thorn.
WINCHILSEA
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading LADY WINCHILSEA TO THE NIGHTINGALE Exert thy voice, sweet harbinger of Spring!
