adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
admiringverbUS /ædˈmaɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “admire” — feel admiration for
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
brokeadjectiveUS /broʊk/
lacking funds
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
broodverbUS /bruːd/
think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
butternounUS /ˈbʌtər/
an edible emulsion of fat globules made by churning milk or cream; for cooking and table use
From this reading “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
carryverbUS /ˈkæri/
move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
catnounUS /kæt/
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
chicksnounUS /tʃɪks/
plural of “chick” — young bird especially of domestic fowl
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
dearadjectiveUS /dɪr/
dearly loved
From this reading “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
encouraginglyadverb
in an encouraging manner
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
everybody'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
facenounUS /feɪs/
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
girlnounUS /ɡɜːrl/
a young female
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
headsnounUS /hedz/
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
Henderson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
hopenounUS /hoʊp/
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
Jerusha
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
justadverbUS /dʒʌst/
and nothing more
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
kneesnounUS /niːz/
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
knowverbUS /noʊ/
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
lady'snounUS /ˈleɪdiz/
possessive form of “lady” — a polite name for any woman
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
lookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
ma'amnounUS /mæm/
a woman of refinement
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
mammynoun
an offensive term for a Black nursemaid in the southern U.S.
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
managedverbUS /ˈmænədʒd/
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
messagesnounUS /ˈmesədʒəz/
plural of “message” — a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
MissverbUS /mɪs/
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/
a form of address for a married woman
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
newadjectiveUS /nuː/
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
patverbUS /pæt/
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
Polly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
poppedverbUS /pɑːpt/
inflected form of “pop” — bulge outward
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
quarternounUS /ˈkwɔːrtər/
one of four equal parts
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
regretfullyadverbUS /rɪˈɡretfəli/
with regret (used in polite formulas)
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
sayverbUS /seɪ/
express in words
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
seeverbUS /siː/
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
smiledverbUS /smaɪld/
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
sneezenounUS /sniːz/
a symptom consisting of the involuntary expulsion of air from the nose
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
stayverbUS /steɪ/
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/
in a swift manner
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
ThereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
townnounUS /taʊn/
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading “There,” broke in Miss Jerusha, “a cat can't sneeze in this town but everybody'll know it in quarter of an hour.”
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Now I must go, ma'am,” she said at last, looking up into the lady's face, regretfully, “for mammy didn't say I was to stay.”
welladverbUS /wel/
(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 “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading “I hope not, my little girl,” he smiled back, encouragingly; and then Polly gave her messages, which now she managed easily enough.
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading And then Mrs. Henderson took Polly out to see a brood of new little chicks, that had just popped their heads out into the world; and to Polly, down on her knees, admiring, the time passed very swiftly indeed.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Very well, dear; do you think you could carry a little pat of butter?
