Chapter II · Chapter 2

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

(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 This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

take the trouble to do something; concern oneself

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

an ardent follower and admirer

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

(of hair) having curls or waves

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

dearly loved

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

small balls or strips of boiled or steamed dough

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

first in order of birth

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

destroyed or killed

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

relating to or inhabiting a divine heaven

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

a supply of food especially for a household

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

plural of “look” — the feelings expressed on a person's face

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

suggestive of sexual impropriety

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

United States writer (1905-1970)

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

and nothing more

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

a stock or supply of foods

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

a coarse vine widely cultivated for its large pulpy round orange fruit with firm orange skin and numerous seeds; subspecies of Cucurbita pepo include the summer squashes and a few autumn squashes

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

plural of “raisin” — dried grape

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

express in words

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

plural of “scrape” — a harsh noise made by scraping

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

reflecting light

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

unpredictably excitable (especially of horses)

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading They look in the larder, and what do you think?

one of three equal parts of a divisible whole

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

to incline or bend from a vertical position

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

the extreme end of something; especially something pointed

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

plural of “toe” — one of the digits of the foot

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

plural of “tress” — a hairdo formed by braiding or twisting the hair

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

(mineralogy) two interwoven crystals that are mirror images on each other

From this reading She has three little children, the eldest is four (Nurse says he is naughty enough to be more); The Twins are dear dumplings, and they and their brother Are always in scrapes-- Of one kind, or another.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

any period of seven consecutive days

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"

(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 "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

used to ask for information about something

From this reading "Oh! bother those children--well, first let us look In the larder, to see what provisions they took; If the pumpkin pie's gone, they are off for the day, If they only took raisins, they're not far away."

a woman whose husband is dead especially one who has not remarried

From this reading Mistress O'Hara lives down by the sea, A skittish and beautiful widow is she; She has black shiny tresses, and curly buff toes, And a heavenly tilt to the tip of her nose!

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading This morning poor Mistress O'Hara looks blue, As indeed she has every reason to do; For the third time this week Nurse has come in to say, "If you please 'm, the children have all run away!"