used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
abolishverbUS /əˈbɑːlɪʃ/
do away with
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
abolishedverbUS /əˈbɑːlɪʃt/
past form of “abolish” — do away with
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But if they cannot create the nursery rhyme, will they destroy it?
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
Colchester
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
ColenounUS /koʊl/
a hardy cabbage with coarse curly leaves that do not form a head
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
conceivedverbUS /kənˈsiːvd/
past form of “conceive” — have the idea for
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
createverbUS /kriˈeɪt/
make or cause to be or to become
From this reading But if they cannot create the nursery rhyme, will they destroy it?
do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of
From this reading But if they cannot create the nursery rhyme, will they destroy it?
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Or if they do not destroy, will they reform; which is worse?
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
doubtfuladjectiveUS /ˈdaʊtfəl/
open to doubt or suspicion
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
educationalists
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
divisible by two
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
yet to be or coming
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
having or deserving or conferring glory
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But if they cannot create the nursery rhyme, will they destroy it?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
in the recent past
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
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 The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
the message that is intended or expressed or signified
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
meditated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
MockverbUS /mɑːk/
treat with contempt
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
nurseriesnounUS /ˈnɜːrsəriz/
plural of “nursery” — a child's room for a baby
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
NurserynounUS /ˈnɜːrsəri/
a child's room for a baby
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Or if they do not destroy, will they reform; which is worse?
pageantnounUS /ˈpædʒənt/
an elaborate representation of scenes from history etc; usually involves a parade with rich costumes
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
poetsnounUS /ˈpoʊəts/
plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
presumablyadverbUS /prəˈzuːməbli/
by reasonable assumption
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
bring forth or yield
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
reformnounUS /rəˈfɔːrm/
a change for the better as a result of correcting abuses
From this reading Or if they do not destroy, will they reform; which is worse?
rhymenounUS /raɪm/
correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
RhymesnounUS /raɪmz/
plural of “rhyme” — correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
in the near future
From this reading The new poets have already abolished rhyme; and presumably the new educationalists will soon abolish nurseries.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The Modern Movements cannot produce a nursery rhyme; it is one of the many such things they cannot even be conceived as doing.
TurkeynounUS /ˈtɜːrki/
large gallinaceous bird with fan-shaped tail; widely domesticated for food
From this reading The Meaning of Mock Turkey Having lately taken part in a pageant of Nursery Rhymes, in the character of Old King Cole, I meditated not so much on the glorious past of the great kingdom of Colchester, as on the more doubtful future of Nursery Rhymes.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Or if they do not destroy, will they reform; which is worse?
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading But if they cannot create the nursery rhyme, will they destroy it?
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading Or if they do not destroy, will they reform; which is worse?
